5 Legal Ways to Earn Money While Studying Law

Image original by At.morey.tota (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If you are a law student and yet you would want to work, it helps if you know some ways to earn money without spending a lot of time within the confines of an office. If you hate going to a 7-4 or 8-5 office job (like me), there are still ways to earn that much needed moolah without leaving home and without getting stuck in traffic.

Honestly, I hate going out in the Metro these days and I'd rather be productive doing some work at home, if I have a choice. Here are some ways you can earn money either part time or full time:

1. Be an online freelancer.
If you have a background in web design (like me), graphics design (like me), photo editing (again, like moi) there are many ways to find that extra income by heading to those sites offering online work like Odesk.com and many many others. Just learn to build your stellar work reputation, make a killer portfolio and you are on your way to supporting you law studies without spending a day in the office. I know of one classmate in law school earning 6-figures per month simply by doing video-editing for an online company.

2. Be a web content writer
Not everybody has the skills to write, but believe me, you will benefit a lot from writing, not only for writing your exams or in taking the bar, but you can also make money by writing articles and web content for others. It is best to work directly with an online publishing rather than get paid with peanuts if you do work for some outsourcing outfits. Of course, you get paid and have bartering leverage depending on your writing skills. I am still learning to write but have some cool gigs that would help me finance my dream trip to Taj Mahal soon.

3. Be an offsite Legal Assistant or Legal Researcher
I used to work as one or do it on a per project basis. It is nice to brush up on what you learn while studying law. There are a lot on online projects if you know where to look. You can also ask your lawyer contacts or private lawyers if you can work as their private legal researcher. If your employer is nice you can even enjoy a lot of freebies like being lent office equipment, laptops, and even a car with free gas allowance!

4. Work as a Consultant
Studying law exposes you to many different fields and it's nice if you know which of them is your real passion where you can learn and enhance your knowledge even off law school. I love tinkling with websites so I took time to take classes and my own initiative to make websites. Some of my former bosses made use of my services at some point. This is one way to offer your expertise as a consultant and get paid for the expertise rather than on a per hour basis.

5. Go into retail of law student related things
Yes, with the eCommerce building an online is another possibility, if you know how to set up an online store  you may start retailing legal stuff like books,  reviewers, etc. you can earn that extra money on your free time. If you don't know how to set-up an online store, I can help you out as well.

See there are many ways to support your law studies even if you do not work for an office. Just be creative and open to learning new skills. You may even start something big which can be a great business opportunity even after you earn that law degree.

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The Blogger

Hi! I'm a law student from Manila, Philippines.  I did Political Science, then Industrial Relations major in H.R. (postgrad) studies from UP.  I vlog, weightlift, experiment with new makeup looks, try Bollywood and bellydance steps, and rant about my cray life in my YouTube channel.  Once in a blue moon, I create content for another YT channel,  10+ blogs,  20+ FB pages and in HubPages.  Check out my official site.  

My Life While Working and Studying Law

Original photo by Richard Lawrence Cohen in this Flicker link
Image use is in accordance with Creative Commons License 2.0

Law study needs full attention but for some of us, it is just not possible because there are other commitments like work and family. While working and studying law is possible, it is a feat that requires more effort and unwavering determination.

I experienced studying full time during my first 2 semesters in law school. During the first semester there were a lot of adjustments to be made. For one, I came from a university where uniforms are non-existent, so going to a law school requiring me to don one takes a lot of adjustment. I have no problem with it impeding my budding fashion sense, but my issue has more to do with having to think about preparing the outfit each day. I think I worry more about making my uniform crease-free than going to class prepared.

School is about an hour's travel time away from my home but I never have to worry about the commute and weaving through the metro's worst traffic because I used to lived an easier life with someone driving for me. That must have been such a boring task for him, imagine having to wait for me 3-4 hours in the school's parking lot with nothing else to do! So I breezed through those first two semesters and managed to be on the Dean's List, yay! A feat which I never even dreamed of accomplishing in law school.

It was in my second year when I decided to work. My boss was kind enough to allow me to leave earlier than everybody so I can attend to my evening classes. All is good since the driver would be waiting in the office and would whisk me off to school braving rush hour traffic, but still manage to bring me to school in 30 minutes or so. I would be late sometimes and some law professors would make a fuss about that fact, while others don't.

Working while studying is very challenging. Since I have to leave early, I would often go to the office ahead of everyone, take a working lunch, forego my snack breaks so I can make time for work and read for class. My boss had been very kind and didn't ask me to do that but I took it upon myself to return the kindness.

My work-study schedule took a turn for the worst when the driver resigned (perhaps out of boredom?). I didn't know how to drive that time so I had to endure riding cabs or taking public mass transport (MRT) just so I won't be late for class! I remember getting smashed and squashed having to fight for space in the train every time I had only about 45 minutes for travel time so the mass rail transport (MRT) is the fastest way to go.

After my second year, I dropped down from the Dean's List though still managed to pass my subjects. It didn't matter anymore because I just wanted to be able to shoot 2 birds with one stone. I prodded on.

In my following year, study had to take a back seat. I often end up enrolling only one semester per year. Then, tired of the MRT and cabs I learned how to drive by taking driving classes somewhere in Bicutan. The funny thing is, I hired another driver to take me to my 20-hour driving class which lasted for about 2 weeks. I never finished nor passed that class by the way. My instructor failed me on my second to the last module after I almost wrecked the gate. :) I still consider myself a safe defensive driver thank's to my drive instructor.

The commute time has taken it's toll on me. I would often get home at 10 or 11 in the evening with no time left to do other things. Then I would have to wake up at 3 or 4am to do my readings and outlines. That's when I decided to move to another law school near my work. From almost an hour of commute, I managed to cut it down to 20 minutes. That decision saved me a lot of time (and sanity) even if it meant having to leave my comfort zone and start again in a new school environment.

Working and studying law is stressful and challenging but with determination, nothing will be impossible. It means having to answer to a lot of people, namely your boss, family, self, work schedule, rest time, etc. etc. In my final year, I plan to support myself fully that's why I took a leave to prepare. I plan to study full time again by next year on my own terms with lesser stress. For that, preparation is key.

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Top 10 Things A Law Student Really Needs

The Blogger

Hi! I'm a law student from Manila, Philippines.  I did Political Science, then Industrial Relations major in H.R. (postgrad) studies from UP.  I vlog, weightlift, experiment with new makeup looks, try Bollywood and bellydance steps, and rant about my cray life in my YouTube channel.  Once in a blue moon, I create content for another YT channel,  10+ blogs,  20+ FB pages and in HubPages.  Check out my official site.  

10 Tips to Survive Work and Law School

You must be crazy to be in law school and work all at the same time. But yes, I did it for two years, stopped, then again, now in my final years (hopefully), and boy it is crazy -- suicidal even. The first few months are difficult but soon you will get the hang of it.

It has its own perks, yes, but everyday is a total adrenaline-pumping and stress-juice producing ride. I love the earning part of it. That means I don't have to ask for dole outs from generous benefactors (kinda) but I admit, it eats me up little by little. I have to trade money for sleep, time, sanity and beauty!

Contrary to popular belief a full time law student doesn't always have the upper hand when it comes to study time, so hurray for us working law students! When one has the luxury of time, there is a tendency to be complacent, right? I even have time to do this blog, plus 5 more others, still have time to do freelance work online, roam and be fabulous all at the same time. :)

So how do you survive being in-between two equally-demanding responsibilities of work and law study?

1.  A Cool Boss
First, you must have a really cool, understanding and supportive boss. One who allows you to leave work in time for you not to be late for your class. It is hard when there is a deadline or meeting you need to attend and you need to rush off to class without missing a beat. I'm glad I can say I'm one of the lucky few.

2. Understanding Boyfriend, Girlfriend, or Spouse
Oh I almost forgot, you are also a living human capable of having a relationship. Well, your loved one must be understanding enough to take 2nd priority, period. Law school is demanding enough, but add work, oh well, you do the math, because a day consist only of 24 hours.

3. Manageable Law Professors
You are lucky if your law professor is not so nit-picky when it comes to lates and absences, otherwise, it's another reason to add to your woes.

4. Your Own Transportation (a.k.a. car)
There are days when you would simply want to teleport from the office to your classroom in order to save time and energy. A car would be good to make that last minute dash from the office to law school or vice-versa, on rush hour. Having your own mode of transport is also great when you need to catch that much-needed 10-minute power nap. But hey, don't sleep and drive, or drive and sleep -- both two dangerous combo that could cause you limb and life.

5. Location, location, matters
Choose a school that is accessible from your work, or workplace which is accessible to school, whenever possible. I traded schools solely on this consideration. It would be great if all three (school, work and home) are close to each other for you to save on commute time.

6. Get a good task scheduler app
If you are like some people, a task scheduler to help you manage your little time might help. In my case, I have all this Android apps which supposedly help me budget my time - which I don't have much really. If you are not so techy, then your good ol' notepad will do. Just jot down what you need to accomplish on a weekly and daily basis. Make sure you stick to those tasks somehow ( I don't most of the time!). My list would often go like this...

Day 1
                   -  9pm-11 pm, Digest case for (subject), edit/proofread, 
                                           then post to blog (haha!)
                   - 11pm-12 mn, Do house stuff
                   - 12mn -3 or 4am, Sleep (on my study chair most of the time).
                   - 4am-5am, Read codal for 30mins, then attempt to read 
                                      corresponding book
                   - 5am - 7:30 am, Prepare for work, do house stuff, etc
                   - 7:30am - 8:30am, Commute time, Mad rush
                   -  9am-5pm, W-O-R-K
                   - 5pm-5:30 pm, Commute time
                   - 6pm-9pm, LAW SCHOOL

Oh well, you get what I mean.

7. Schedule your leaves at work nicely
It is good to reserve your work leaves for exam periods in law school. It helps to maintain your sanity during those gruelling days when you have to review for that exam.

8. Limit and manage your social network time
Facebook and other social media are great time-stealers. It is easy to forget time when you are sharing stories and photos or chatting with your friends online, but really, you don't have to update everyday (unless your a social media practitioner). On most days, I would allot 10 minutes per visit, and more than that, I would already feel guilty.

9. Get a massage every payday
Yeah, why not! It is one of those guilt-free pleasures that you can allow yourself to indulge in. After all, you deserve to destress you body. Get a massage twice every month, or more.

10. Eat heartily.
Those sleepless nights can definitely take a toll on your body but its always good to counterbalance this health-adverse activity (law school, I mean) with the consumption of good and healthy food. It's alright to gain some healthy weight when you are in law school. If you are working and studying law, dieting should be the least of your worries, staying up 20 hours a day will m=be more than enough exercise for you, believe me.

All in all, pursuing a law degree and working for another master (your employer) is not for the weak. I bade you to have a strong heart, mind, and body to withstand all the challenges. Your success in both largely depends on how bad you want to be a lawyer, so there! Goodluck!