Apply to the JD Program
New Part-Time Scheduling Option FAQ
Pace Law has now expanded its part-time JD program with evening/weekend options for working professionals.
Q. What are the scheduling options for part-time students?
A. In the past, Pace Law only offered a part-time day program. Starting with the incoming class in Fall 2019, we will also be offering our required courses in the evenings and weekends, to make our part-time program more accessible to working professionals. Our part-time students will be able to choose between taking their classes during the day, during the evenings/weekends, or in some combination that works for them.
Q. What are the specific times of the evening/weekend required classes?
A. The classes will be offered on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9:30, Thursdays from 6:30-9:30, and Saturdays from 9:30-12:30. In addition, all of the above classes, except Legal Skills I and II, will include an additional hour per week of distance education.
Q. What happens after I have completed the above schedule? Can I continue to take only evening and weekend classes for the rest of my time in law school?
A. Yes, you can. Each semester, additional upper-level electives will be offered during the above Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday slots so that you can complete your entire JD on this schedule, if you so prefer. However, you will also have full access to all other regularly-scheduled courses, so that you can create your own schedule each semester to fit your needs.
Q. What if I want to mix and match even within the first-year curriculum? For example, could I take Civil Procedure during the day, but take Torts on Thursday nights and Legal Skills on Saturday morning?
A. Yes. You can put together the combination that works best for you. Every class that is offered during the evening/weekend is also offered during the daytime (sometimes with multiple options).
Q. How do I apply for the part-time program?
A. On your application, indicate whether you are applying for the Full-Time Day Program or the Part-Time Program. If you are applying for the Part-Time Program, you then check off whether you would like to take your required courses exclusively during the day, exclusively during the evening/weekend, or in some combination of the two. The application standards are the same.
Q. What if I start out as a part-time student, but later want to become a full-time student?
A. After your first year, you can change from the part-time division to the full-time division (or vice versa) by requesting permission from the Academic Dean, which is typically granted absent extenuating circumstances.
Q. If I solely take classes on the evenings and weekends, will all of the certificates, concentrations, and clinics be available to me?
A. No, because certain classes and clinics are only offered during the day. All part-time students are welcome to enroll in those courses, but will need to arrange their schedules so that they can be on campus during the relevant daytime hours in order to participate in them. Part-time students who can only take classes in the evenings and weekends will indeed be able to complete their JD in four years, but will have a more limited selection of courses.
Q. If I solely take classes on the evenings and weekends, will student services (i.e., financial aid, registrar, career services, and academic success) be available to me at those times, or will I need to come to campus during the day to use them?
A. All student services will have weekly evening hours so that students who only come to campus in the evenings and weekends can still fully access them.
Q. If I solely take classes on the evenings and weekends, can I still participate in a law review?
A. Yes. Part-time students are fully eligible to participate in the Law Review competition, and, for students who are selected to participate, the work can be done in the evenings and weekends.
Accelerated Program FAQ
Q: What is the 2 1/2 year Accelerated Program?
A: Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s Accelerated Program allows students to begin law school in the spring or fall semester and graduate within two and a half years, instead of the traditional three year full-time curriculum.
Q: How does the program work?
A: Spring Entry: Students who begin their studies in the spring semester complete their first year during the spring and summer with two consecutive 13-week sessions. These students accelerate and join their second-year classmates in the fall, completing the J.D. program in two and a half years.
Fall Entry: Students who begin in the traditional fall semester may enroll in two consecutive summer sessions and complete their program a semester early to fulfill the two and half year accelerated degree.
Q: How do I apply for the Accelerated Program?
A: Interested candidates can apply online for the spring or fall entering class at www.lsac.org.
Q: When is the deadline for applying, and when can I expect to hear an answer?
A: While there is no final deadline as we work on rolling admissions, the priority application deadline for spring entry is December 1st. Decisions typically take 2-3 weeks after completion of your application.
Q: If I enter in the spring semester, will I be at a disadvantage from my peers who are enrolled in the traditional full-time three year program?
A: No. Students entering in the spring accelerated program will be fully integrated into law school life and have access to all the same services and activities available to first-year fall start students, including financial aid, career services, student groups and law review. For spring accelerated students interested in law review, there will be a separate write-on competition after the final exam of the summer session.
Q: What are the median numbers for the LSAT and GPA?
A: Admission into the 2 1/2 Year Accelerated Program is just as competitive as fall admissions. For the 2018 admit pool, the median LSAT was a 152 and the median GPA was 3.3.
Q: What is the latest LSAT score that will be considered?
A: Applicants should take the LSAT exam by November for spring admission. Pace operates on a rolling admission program, meaning students may still apply and be accepted for enrollment following the December 1st suggested deadline. Decisions typically take 2-3 weeks after completion of your application. Applicants interested in fall admission should take the LSAT by the June exam.
Q: When does this program start in spring 2019?
A: Classes begin the second week of January 2019.
For any other questions regarding our 2 1/2 Year Accelerated Program, please contact the Office of Admissions at 914-422-4210 or at admissions@law.pace.edu.
List of Joint Degree Programs Offered
The following joint degrees are available through Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University:
JD/Master of Business Administration with Pace University Lubin School of Business
JD/Master of Public Administration with Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
JD/Master of Environmental Management with Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
JD/Master of Science in Environmental Policy with Bard College - Bard Center for Environmental Policy
Bachelor of Arts/JD or Bachelor of Science/JD *** with Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Bachelor of Arts/JD with The College of Saint Rose
Bachelor of Arts/JD or Bachelors of Science/JD with New Jersey Institute of Technology
4+3 Early Admission Program with Siena College
***Note: the BA/JD or BS/JD joint degree program is not open to students
who are already enrolled in Pace Law School’s JD program.