Student Advice

Five Things I Learned From My First Flight as a Night Owl

Temple Law School at night.

Each year, Temple Law’s evening program attracts a talented group of students ready to take on the challenge of law school on a part-time basis. There are many reasons why students decide to join the evening division. Many night owls, like myself, work full-time jobs and the evening program is the only way to complete law school. Others have an array of other responsibilities during the day. Regardless of what our individual day-to-day lives entail, all night owls can agree there is a special perspective and camaraderie that comes with being an evening student at Temple Law. We can also agree it is no walk in the park.

I still have a long road to graduation in front of me, but with my first semester as a 1LE completed, I feel like I’ve learned a thing or two about being a student in Temple Law’s evening program that can help you if you’re thinking of taking on the challenge.

Befriend Your Classmates

It truly does take a village. Night owls have busy lives outside of law school. Emergencies arise. Schedules change. You may miss a class, a reading assignment, a study session, etc. It is essential to have at least one person you can trust and depend on to share notes and commentary regarding whatever you have missed.

Additionally, you need a support system. At some point during your first semester, you will feel like you don’t belong and should drop out. For me, this occurred more frequently than I’d like to admit. When that feeling arises, you need someone, or maybe even a group of people, to drag you back into Klein Hall.

As cliché as it may sound, your classmates become your family in many ways – so even when you don’t necessarily like them and they are on your last nerve, you’ll always love, appreciate and need them.

Master Time Management

The most popular question evening students are asked is: “When do you find time to study? It’s a brilliant question, and if you ask 40 night owls you’ll likely get 40 different answers. In short, you have to find what works best for you.

Some people can work an eight-hour day, attend three-to-four hours of classes at night and then go home to spend hours reading and outlining before bed. I learned early on that I am not one of those people.

“’Every interaction you have with someone in law school is an interview.’ That quote is a great reminder that it’s never too early to start building your network and personal brand.”

After receiving some advice from a friend and Temple Law alumnus, I decided to dedicate my weekends to reading, outlining and studying. Law school is my nine-to-five job on the weekends. I try to spend the first eight hours of Saturday and Sunday focused and working efficiently to get through my readings and taking good notes. During the week, I find the time to look over those notes whenever I have the chance – during my lunch break, on the train, etc.

Just as important, however, is understanding that spending every waking moment with your head in a casebook is unrealistic. Not only will you be miserable – you’ll find it to be totally ineffective. Find time to do something you enjoy, even if it’s just for an hour or two in between studying. For me, this usually means binge-watching Netflix with my boyfriend. For some of my classmates it means going for a run, cooking, etc.

The bottom line here is you have to be committed and disciplined. Law school is difficult. Being an evening student presents additional challenges that you can only overcome if you are fully committed to giving your legal education 110 percent. Be sure to make time to go to office hours and study the best way you see fit, but don’t forget to make time for sleep and talking to your friends and family every once in a while too.

Be Picky When Choosing a Mentor

First: you need a mentor. Do not let anyone tell you differently. Second: the more mentors, the merrier. Third: remember that not all advice is good advice.

​For most evening students, the four years spent in law school can be a​ very confusing and challenging period. Most of the time, you have no idea what to expect or what is expected of you. Having someone who has “been there and done that” is invaluable.

One of my favorite Jay-Z lyrics says, “Everyone can tell you how to do it, they never did it​.” ​That basically sums up my feelings regarding mentorship in law school. Understanding that full-time students will have a completely different perspective on how to approach studying and navigating the first year is important. Many strategies that worked for them will not work for evening students for many reasons. So when you’re meeting different people and searching for a mentor, choose someone who has experienced law school as an evening student and can relate to the challenges you face on a daily basis.

Get Involved (If there’s a will – there’s a way!)

As an evening student, you may find it difficult to get involved in all of the wonderful extracurricular activities and organizations Temple Law has to offer. However, it’s not impossible. Some student organizations at Temple have an evening student representative, responsible for promoting the organization to evening students and keeping evening students in mind during event planning. 

“Law school is difficult. Being an evening student presents additional challenges that you can only overcome if you are fully committed to giving your legal education 110 percent.”

There are also a number of professional organizations outside of Temple Law that provide networking and training opportunities to law students for a discounted membership rate. The Philadelphia Bar Association regularly offers professional training programs and networking opportunities at various hours of the day and evening for local law students. These events offer the opportunity to network with leaders of the Philadelphia Bar and meet fellow law students from around the city. Additionally, there are many affinity bar associations always seeking membership and devoted to diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.

Learn How to Market Yourself

This past semester, my contracts professor told our class, “Every interaction you have with someone in law school is an interview.” That quote is a great reminder that it’s never too early to start building your network and personal brand.

Building a personal brand takes on added importance for evening students. Many night owls do not have the opportunity to seek summer employment because we work full-time jobs year-round. Because of this, we have to find different ways to make ourselves stand out and become desirable prospects.

So perfect your elevator speech before you need to use it. Network everywhere, any time, online – I highly recommend LinkedIn – and in person. Overall, be confident. You know you’re awesome; never miss an opportunity to convince someone else.


If you have any questions about this post or you are considering becoming a Temple Law evening student, feel free to contact me – I love to talk Temple! I can be reached by email at maya.brown@temple.edu.

Questions about this post? Drop us a line at lawcomm@temple.edu.