Academic Year Employment

The study of law is demanding. It is designed to occupy the full attention of students and calls for the highest level of concentration. It is unwise for students to dilute their efforts with significant outside work, especially during the critical first year of study. Accordingly, no first-year student shall engage in employment without permission of the associate dean. While all students are advised to limit their employment during the school year for academic reasons, no student may be employed for more than twenty hours per week during the academic year.

For those who find some outside earnings necessary to meet the expense of studying law at Duke, there may be some part-time employment opportunities at the law school. Many students are employed in their second or third years as research assistants for faculty members and some may work as research assistants through the library.

Law student spouses who seek employment will find opportunities comparable to those in most other areas of the country. Laboratory workers, computer programmers, development officers, teachers, and medical personnel are some of the positions spouses have typically held in the past. The University Human Resources, Duke Temporary Services, and the medical center personnel offices assist interested persons in locating suitable employment on campus.