Quinnipiac University School of Law launches new 3-Year Evening JD Program

Quinnipiac University School of Law will launch a new 3-Year Evening JD Program in fall 2027, offering students a structured path to a Juris Doctor degree through a combination of evening on-campus instruction, strategically scheduled online semesters and integrated bar preparation. Applications open Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The new program is a redesign of the law school’s existing part-time evening program, shaped by feedback from current and former part-time students about the challenges of balancing law school with careers, families, military service and other commitments, said Dean Brian Gallini.

“What makes Quinnipiac uniquely positioned to offer this program is that we are large enough to innovate yet personal enough to know our students well,” Gallini said. “One of the clearest messages we heard from part-time students was not that law school was too demanding. Rather, students told us that balancing law school with careers, families, military service and other responsibilities became especially challenging when they could not confidently plan what came next. They wanted greater predictability, clearer sequencing and a more intentional path from enrollment to graduation.”

The 3-Year Evening JD Program is designed to address those concerns through a defined academic sequence, dedicated advising and program leadership, experiential learning opportunities and integrated bar preparation.

“It provides a structured academic roadmap, enhanced advising, dedicated program leadership and integrated bar preparation,” Gallini said. “The result is a program designed not simply to deliver legal education, but to help students navigate the entire journey from law school admission through bar licensure and professional success.”

Students in the program will earn the same accredited Juris Doctor degree as Quinnipiac’s full-time students and will have access to the law school’s faculty, academic and career resources, experiential learning opportunities and student-support services.

“One of the things I am most proud of is that this redesign grew directly from conversations with students, alumni, faculty, staff, admissions professionals and university leadership,” Gallini said. “The central question was not, ‘How do we help students finish law school faster?’ The central question was, ‘How do we create a clearer and more supported path to becoming a lawyer?’ The 3-Year Evening JD Program is our answer to that question.”

Jennifer Levine, professor of practice in tax law and director of the 3-Year Evening JD Program, will oversee the program and work with students on academic planning, course selection, career development and access to law school resources and opportunities.

Levine and Professor Kevin Barry, associate dean for student success, said the program is designed for students who want to pursue a law degree while continuing to meet professional and personal responsibilities.

The program also incorporates bar preparation into the curriculum, an element that current evening student Maria Volonte, said was important to students who helped provide feedback during the redesign.

Volonte said the program’s approach to bar preparation, along with expanded academic advising and professional-development support, could help evening students better prepare for the transition from law school to the bar exam.

“Although it is possible to pass the exam while also working full-time, this type of study experience greatly disadvantages students,” Volonte said. “Many are left without the possibility to leave their jobs during the summer and have no choice but to take on both tasks at once.”

Joan Metzler, associate dean of admissions and financial aid, said integrating bar preparation into the program is intended to reduce the disruption that bar study can create for working students.

“By integrating bar preparation into the program itself, we're able to alleviate that stressor and give students a realistic, structured path to licensure without asking them to sacrifice their livelihood right at the finish line,” Metzler said.

Metzler said the program is expected to appeal to applicants who cannot commit to a traditional full-time law school schedule or who do not want to spend four years completing an evening program.

“We expect this program to resonate with anyone who has always wanted to pursue a law degree but hasn't been able to step away from significant daytime commitments to do so, as well as those who simply don't want their legal education to take four years,” Metzler said.

Potential applicants include working professionals, career changers, military service members and veterans, parents and caregivers, and others whose professional or personal responsibilities make a traditional law school schedule difficult.

“What unites these candidates isn’t a single career path,” Metzler said. “It’s a shared desire for a program that gets them to the bar and into practice without putting their life on hold or asking them to wait longer than necessary to get there.”

Gallini said the new program reflects the law school’s broader focus on student outcomes, innovation and preparation for legal practice.

“At its core, the 3-Year Evening JD Program recognizes that today’s law students are looking for more than flexibility,” Gallini said. “They are looking for a clear and supported pathway to a legal career. We believe this redesigned program will expand access to legal education while providing students with a stronger connection between law school, bar licensure and professional opportunity.”

To learn more, visit law.qu.edu/eveningJD.