I went to evening classes at Mc george law school in Calif. It took 4 years instead of the ful time 3. you are lucky to find a school that offers part time.
it will be difficult as your job may interfere with homework reading. Try to get a job like warehouse watchman or hotel night clerk that allows you to read at wrok. there is a lot of reading but not very many written assignments so you tend to cheat on the reading anyway as it does not get discovered until you get an exam or get asked a question in class. you have to be very self disciplined in law school.
they do not spoon feed you but expect you to take the reins immediately and get on with it from your own incentive. you must do more than asked to do.
working part time also makes it harder to set up a study group and you really need one.it takes deep discourse with others to bring out the important nuances and mastery required.
I used some shortcut type books with synopsized types of law instruction to simplify the basics or review them. There are always many available. " nutshell" series is one.
There is no substitute for grinding on the various versions of the law in scholarly treatises, which are optional, but a quick mind and creative thought and earnest classroom atendence, participation and attention are what got me through. i did not have money for the treatises or time to read them. I found the law professors appreciated a refreshing point of view more than regurgitating what the elder scholars had written about an issue. So in a way, it helped me to NOT study the old masters as I was untainted by their othodoxy and able to invent new arguments on what was essentially a blank slate (my unstudied brain) . This was perceived as enthusiasm and extra effort by the professors.
Brownie points do not help in the exams thought. they do not know whose paper they are grading and many times your exam papers are graded by another student etc. So you must master the basics and then you can fill in the blanks with BS so long as i is cogent. there are no correct answers in law, just good arguments. So get good rest and take vitamins and do not drink or waste your time. LISTEN and take careful notes and do NOT miss anu classes. Have a pal that shares notes if you must miss one. The READ your notes and go to the professors office to ask questions on points that are unclear. get it clear before the exam.
most exams are essay so learn to write write write. You are there not to memorize law, but to understand principles and percepts and then apply them to fact situations. it is very interesting and fun to study cases. read all the cases assigned. they are good way to learn and the traditional way to learn.
BRIEF each case and reveiw them before class and ASK questions. Volunteer answers if you think of one. It stimulates discussion and aids your learning and that of others even if you are wrong. being wrong is actually the BEST way to learn, but only if you discover it in time. make the mistakes in class, not the exam.
Later, in practice at your profession. you will avoid making mistakes in court, whcih is the real exams.
Do not dispair or give up if you hit an area that is impossible for you. Plow through and do your best and take a C if you have to. you only have to get 75% to pass law school. you do not have to know 100% of evrything to be a good attorney. you will narrow your practice to certain areas you like anyway and avoid those you hate or are weak in but you still have to endure those times in school when you feel dumb. just endure it.
Take each class in turn and focus on it. do not get all upset about all the classes you must learn. it is like eating an elephant. you do it one bite at a time. same as a chicken. ( by the way, elephant tastes a lot like chicken) keep your sense of humor and make friends. you will appreciate them later in your career. i still see my old law school buddies after being retired.
I will ot wish you good luck, you do not need it. law school is a meritocracy. work hard and be the best you can and it will be good enough. you do not have to be class valedictorian.
last note
attend all classes , even if you feel unprepared and you know he is going to call on you ( or she). if you screw up it is OK and better than missing the class. learn to control embarras emnt and learn form failings and errors. You will get a lot more in real life so now is the time to learn to cope. that is why it is called school. the professors want to make you cringe and fail as a way to teach you to try harder and know what the real pressure is like. Judges are the real pressure and they delight in watching you screw up a case. it makes their day. It gets boring being a judge so they like to mess with your mind. get used to it in law school and develop a quick mind and thick skin and learn to bow and scrape. It will help you win cases later.
Hi,
A law degree is as hard as you make it. If you fall behind with the work it is difficult to catch up so stay on top of it.
Try to keep abreast of new case law and legislation. Things can change very rapidly. Make sure you do your assigned reading, it is given you for a reason.
If there is something you don't understand ask your tutor, it is what they get paid for, some areas of law can be quite complex, especially equity and trusts.
The very best of luck with your studies
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