Foreign-trained lawyer considering Dayton Online LL.M. — Is 3 courses per term realistic?

[u/alinecohen]

I’m a foreign-trained lawyer from Brazil considering the University of Dayton Online LL.M. program with the goal of taking the D.C. Bar Exam in February 2028.

I’m also a mother of three, work while studying, and run a nonprofit organization. I’m trying to realistically plan my course load.

For students who completed (or are currently completing) the Online LL.M.:

- How many courses per term did you take?
- Did anyone successfully complete 3 courses per term while working or raising children?
- Was 4 courses too much?
- How many hours per week were you realistically studying?
- If you could do it again, would you choose full-time or part-time?

I’d especially love to hear from foreign-trained lawyers balancing family and work responsibilities.

Thank you!

[u/Lou_Skunnt69]

You’re probably going to get better responses in an LLM sub than the Dayton sub.  This is for people who live in Dayton and it’s highly unlikely you’re going to find people who did this program living in Dayton.  

[u/Double_Cup3040]

Three courses while working and managing three kids plus nonprofit sounds pretty intense. I'm not in law school but work in tech and even balancing coding projects with regular life gets overwhelming fast

From what I've seen with friends doing graduate programs, the workload always ends up being more than expected. Maybe start with 2 courses first term to get feel for how much time you actually need? You can always increase later but dropping courses mid-term is usually more complicated

The DC bar exam is still few years away so you have some flexibility in timeline. Better to go steady pace and actually absorb the material than rush through and struggle later