A Part-Time Path to a New Career
Law school is an investment of time and money that can pay off over a lifetime. In just four years, you could be arguing cases in the courtroom, serving as counsel to a high-tech firm, shaping future laws through a career in government or politics, providing legal services to the underserved, advising individual and corporate clients, or working abroad.
About Our Program
Santa Clara Law’s part-time option for our JD program gives you all the benefits of our full-time option — our excellent location in Silicon Valley, our outstanding faculty mentors, many of our extensive clinical and professional opportunities, and our supportive staff — with the added benefit of a diverse and collegial part-time student community. We invite you to read what part-time grads have to say about their experience, or learn more about Santa Clara Law.
Who Should Attend?
Our part-time option attracts some of the best and brightest professionals from our outstanding location in the world business center of Silicon Valley, and beyond. You will share your educational experience with Ph.D.s in engineering and other technical areas, patent agents from leading law firms, medical doctors, and other working professionals who are employed at major companies and firms in Silicon Valley and/or hold other advanced degrees. Our JD program also attracts young people motivated by public service, and others who are committed to pursuing a legal education in a cost-effective way.
Requirements
In order to apply, you must have an undergraduate degree and you must take the LSAT. Learn more about the application process and timeline.
Course of Study
Classes begin each year in August. Most part-time students complete the requirements for the JD in four years. Courses are taught in the evenings, Monday through Thursday, beginning after 5:30 p.m. and ending by 9:10 p.m. After the first year, many part-time students take one or two classes during the summer. Click here for more details on the course of study.
Class Size
The 2020 entering class had 23 part-time students in the evening section.
Faculty
The majority of our part-time first-year courses are taught by full-time, tenured (or tenure track) members of our outstanding faculty. Our upper-division specialized courses are taught by faculty as well as by top practitioners in the field, drawn from the Silicon Valley legal, business, and public interest communities.
Take the Next Step
We encourage you to contact our admissions staff to learn more, make an appointment, or meet a current part-time student: lawadmissions@scu.edu, or (408) 554-5048.
