After dark and out in the cold: Part-time law students and the myth of 'equivalency'

Francis, Andrew; McDonald, Iain

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of the first major research study of part-time law students. It argues that many face multiple disadvantages, largely unrecognized by universities, whose emphasis on the formal equivalency of part-time and full-time law degrees ignores the distinctive backgrounds and needs of part-time students. As a result, many are marginalized, impacting on their retention, overall performance, and work prospects. It is also argued that the context within which part-time law students experience legal education contributes to a collective habitus which may structure what is 'thinkable' for their futures. Such concerns are of particular importance given the strong vocational drive amongst part-time law students. An effective response requires action by both universities and the legal profession. Without this, part-time legal education will remain a fundamentally paradoxical experience, offering broader access to legal practice for non-traditional entrants, while continuing to inhibit their chances of success by entrenching their difference in the eyes of the profession. © 2009 Cardiff University Law School.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Jan 9, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: May 19, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Law and Society
• Print ISSN: 0263-323X
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-6478
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 220-247
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6478.2009.00464.x
• Keywords: part-time law students, equivalency
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1002537
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6478.2009.00464.x
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Published by Cardiff University Law School and Blackwell Publishing. The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com
• Contract Date: May 19, 2016