A day in the life of a (working) law student

Time management is key for part-time law school

As a Connecticut state trooper, Andrew Matthews knows the law. Soon, he could be practicing it.

After spending a back-breaking three years working a full-time job while taking night courses, Matthews graduated in June with a legal degree from the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover.

The 37-year-old Matthews already had a strong background in law when he started classes. A former police officer with Yale University, he went on to earn a master's degree in forensic science and later spent four years as a detective with the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit. Still, that wasn't enough to fulfill his lifelong dream of helping abused and neglected children.

"I wanted my law degree," he says, explaining how he someday hopes to be a prosecutor, or perhaps a judge, so he can better advocate for children's rights.

Yet the road from law school to legal degree isn't always an easy one-even for someone with a background in law.

"You have to eat, breathe, and sleep it," Matthews says of his legal studies.

He should know.

As a sergeant assigned to the Connecticut State Police's risk management unit, his day-and his studying-begins at 6:30 a.m. when he steps in front of the bathroom mirror. There, taped to the wall, is a list of legal acronyms-a subtle reminder to study while shaving. In his car, a lecture on law drones continuously from the CD player. At family functions, he brings a deck of legal flash cards and an mp3 player containing legal lectures to help him memorize the rigorous course work. Even his two-hour commute to class is earmarked for reviewing class lectures.

"Time management is the most crucial thing in law school," says Matthews, noting that he has even managed to cram in some studying while waiting for a tow truck to come to the aid of a disabled vehicle.

Days off, once reserved for watching the Red Sox and renovating old houses, are now relegated to the books, although he does get together with friends for an occasional game of Texas hold 'em. The coursework is so intense, in fact, that he canceled his cable, after realizing he'd spent months without once turning on his TV.

"Every critical moment in law school, you have to be committed," Matthews says. "But you have to realize it's a short-term commitment for a long-term reward."

Even with a stressful, full-time job, Matthews, who also serves as president of the Massachusetts School of Law Student Bar Association, says the course work has been somewhat easier for him because he doesn't have the responsibilities that come with a wife and children, unlike many other students.

"You really need to have the commitment of your family to get through this," he says. "It takes a huge commitment from your family but it also takes a huge commitment from yourself."

Yet there are some ways to ease the stress. Whether students are attending the Massachusetts School of Law, New England School of Law, or Suffolk University Law School, there are resource centers, study groups, and websites that make prior bar exams available to students. All of which help. More importantly, Matthews says, "You have to recognize that this will be over someday."