Part-Time Program
Georgetown Law has a long tradition of providing quality legal education to working students. In fact, Georgetown's Law School was founded as an evening program. In 1870, the first catalog announced that "[t]he exercises will be held in the evening in order to facilitate the attendance of gentlemen who are engaged in the service of the Government." Twenty-five students attended the Law School's first lecture.
This tradition continues more than 140 years later. Today, many men and women who are employed full time by the federal government, law firms, trade associations, and other organizations are able to concurrently attend one of the nation's best law schools. Former Senator George Mitchell is just one of many well known graduates of the part-time program. Professor Mitt Regan on Georgetown Law's full-time faculty was also a part-time student.
The part-time program is designed to allow part-time students to complete the J.D. degree requirements in eight academic semesters. Part-time students may accelerate their program for the degree to seven semesters by also completing 10-12 academic credits over two or more Summer sessions. Classes in the part-time program generally meet from 5:45 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. on weekdays, but upperclass part-time students may also take upperclass courses that meet during the day. In the first year of the part-time program, students attend class until 8:50 p.m. on two weekday evenings. A limited number of upperclass electives are offered on Saturdays between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
During the first year, students in the part-time program pursue a 20 credit-hour required program of study. Typically, during the second year, part-time students complete their required first-year program by taking Propety and Criminal Justice together with elective courses. Part-time students are also required to take a course that meets the "first-year" elective requirement in a semester of their choosing during their second, third or fourth years.
In order to better serve students for whom the part-time program was designed and to remain true to the spirit in which the part-time program was established, students will now be permitted to transfer from the part-time program to the full-time program only in cases of a demonstrated significant change in circumstances.
