One of the most interesting recent trends in the field of legal education is the growing recognition that not all future lawyers need three years of legal education to be prepared to begin their careers as practicing lawyers.
One result of this recognition has been the introduction of two-year accelerated J.D. programs. More than a dozen law schools offer two-year J.D. programs, and it is likely that more schools will jump on the bandwagon in the next several years.
This week’s article will explore the pros and cons of these programs, with the goal of helping prospective applicants determine whether these programs are right for them.
[Get tips to determine if a two-year law school program is a good fit.]
Pros
— You can start your career more quickly. Speed is perhaps the most obvious advantage to attending an accelerated J.D. program. Because these programs are generally completed in two academic years, students can enter the work force and gain hands-on experience a year sooner.
This advantage is of particular value to applicants who are further removed from college and those who chose to attend law school as a career change.
For example, one of my past clients worked in law enforcement and decided that he wanted to work with the law in a different capacity. He was already in his mid-thirties, so we decided that an accelerated program would be the best fit for him.
— You spend less time in the classroom. Part of the rationale behind the trend toward accelerated J.D. programs is the recognition that most of the practical skills and substantive knowledge required to be a good lawyer are learned in the first several years on the job. Law school, on the other hand, tends to focus on preparing students to think like a lawyer, which gives them general knowledge of the practice of law but leaves many gaps to be filled.
[Read about law admissions trends 2015 applications should know about.]
For students who know that their learning style is more conducive to practical, concrete situations, an accelerated program is a good option. The client I previously mentioned was already familiar with certain aspects of the law from his experience in law enforcement. He also knew that his learning style was learning by doing. This was another reason he moved forward with an accelerated program.
— It’s less expensive. With the cost of education generally — and legal education specifically — continuing to rise, future law students are increasingly aware of the high cost of tuition and are looking for ways to mitigate their costs.
Enrolling in an accelerated program has two financial advantages. First, it lowers tuition costs generally by one-third, as students spend only two years in school instead of three. And second, it enables students to earn income a year sooner.
Cons
— These programs are generally new and untested. Since most of these programs have started in the past few years, it is still unclear how employers view these programs and the preparedness of graduates of these programs. For students vying for the most competitive and prestigious jobs such as federal court clerkships, a traditional three-year J.D. is the safer route.
[See how falling applications are spurring changes at law schools.]
— There is less of an opportunity to study specific areas of law. Part of the benefit of a three-year J.D. program is that it gives students the opportunity to take many elective courses. This benefit is especially important to applicants who have a specific practice area in mind. Subjects like tax law and trusts and estates typically require a significant amount of in-class learning.
— A limited number of schools offer it. Although the trend of offering accelerated J.D. programs appears to be on the rise, the number of schools offering such programs remains limited. The top tier of law schools is particularly underrepresented among the schools offering such programs, which only Northwestern University among the top 14 offering an accelerated J.D.
The best course for applicants who are not committed to completing their J.D. in two years is usually to apply to some schools with accelerated J.D. programs and some without such programs to ensure that students don’t unnecessarily limit their choice of school when admissions decisions are sent out.
Are you planning to apply to accelerated J.D. programs? Let me know in an email or tweet me.
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Balance the Pros, Cons of Enrolling in an Accelerated J.D. Program originally appeared on usnews.com
