Northeastern Law’s full-time, on-campus trajectory to pursue a law degree doesn’t fit everyone. We get it. That’s why we developed the FlexJD — an ABA-accredited, part-time, primarily online program to meet the needs of working professionals. The flexibility of the FlexJD program and hybrid format provide access to students across the nation who are eager to take advantage of Northeastern Law’s signature Cooperative Legal Education Program and rigorous curriculum but are not necessarily based in the Boston area.
Why choose the FlexJD program?
You don’t have to leave your full-time job
Designed for working professionals like you, earn your JD part time in 4 years with a flexible hybrid format.
You can earn your JD from home with limited visits to campus
The majority of coursework is offered online (live classes, two nights per week as well as asynchronous classes) with limited Law On Campus intensives (six total, four days each).
You can build your résumé while you earn your JD
Get hands-on, real-world experience through our unparalleled co-ops and experiential learning opportunities.
You can tailor your JD to your career goals
Choose from a variety of electives in areas like intellectual property, international law, public health law and more.
Northeastern by the Numbers
- Ranked in the top 50 universities in the United States (U.S. News and World Report)
- Ranked in the top 15 most innovative universities (U.S. News and World Report)
- #1 ranking for practical legal training (The National Jurist)
Download Program Overview
To learn more about Northeastern Law’s FlexJD program, complete the form to the right and download the program overview information sheet. You can also call us at 617.203.7228 to talk with one of our admissions representatives or schedule an appointment to speak with us.
Key Program Information
- Upcoming Term
Fall 2024 - Application Deadline
May 1, 2024** - Total Annual Tuition
$45,300*
*Scholarships and financial aid are available for qualifying students. Please visit the financial aid page to learn more.
**The Fall 2024 application will be released in early September 2023.
FlexJD Program Format
-
The majority of the FlexJD program instruction is conveniently delivered through dynamic, remote coursework and complemented by periodic on-campus intensives. The remote coursework incorporates weekly live, online courses with self-paced, recorded coursework that you complete on your own schedule. For the fall 2023 semester, live, online courses will be scheduled two evenings per week.* The dynamic remote coursework includes reading and writing assignments, assessments and discussion board contributions.
*Eastern time. Exceptions to schedules may occur.
-
If you live in the Boston area, great. You already know how much New England has to offer. For those of you who want to spend more time in this vibrant city, take your first “T” ride or catch a Boston Red Sox game, the Law On Campus intensives provide you with the opportunity to study at Northeastern’s flagship campus while enjoying the culture and legal landscapes of our world-class city. During the required, on-campus intensives you’ll meet your classmates and faculty in-person and build upon the foundation you have created online. Beginning with orientation and continuing through graduation, the required on-campus intensives provide unparalleled opportunities to develop a strong sense of community and shared goals while advancing your legal education.
Over the course of the four-year FlexJD program, you are required to complete six on-campus intensives bound to the curriculum, each approximately four days long and scheduled around long weekends. Three of these intensives will occur during the first-year curriculum (the first during your first-semester orientation), with the remaining three periods take place in the upper-level years (the last during your bar prep course in your final semester).
-
In the FlexJD program, your courses will be spread over four years rather than the full-time, three-year JD program, allowing you to balance your professional and personal commitments with pursuing your law degree. As a FlexJD student, you’ll experience Northeastern’s foundational first-year JD curriculum. You’ll also have access to a broad range of opportunities and upper-level courses, including clinical and skills-based courses to build your professional skills. See FlexJD curriculum here.
The FlexJD program is an 11 semester cohorted program that commences in the fall semester and ends with the summer semester. Students have an opportunity to apply for transfer to the full-time program after the 1L year, and again after their third spring term, upon approval of the academic dean.
-
You’ll also complete semester-long co-op placements with legal employers through our Cooperative Legal Education Program and participate in numerous programs offered by our Center for Co-op and Career Development. After your four years, you’ll be ready to sit for the bar** and practice law — armed with unparalleled depth of knowledge and an abundance of legal experience. FlexJD students also have the support of dedicated FlexJD faculty and staff, as well as 24-7 technical support.
**Students applying to the FlexJD program should check with the jurisdictions in which they may seek admission to the bar to ensure that graduation from this program will make them eligible for taking the bar exam and being admitted to the bar in those jurisdictions. Because of the limits New York places on the use of distance education, FlexJD students cannot currently sit for the bar exam in New York.
Questions? Schedule an appointment to speak with a Northeastern Law admissions representative.
Application Requirements
To apply, ensure the following have been submitted:
- Application by May 1, 2024*
- Résumé
- Personal statement
- Optional Essay Responses
- Current CAS report that includes LSAT score(s) (no more than 5 years old), one letter of recommendation, and all required transcripts
There is no application fee. Apply now!
FlexJD Student Testimonials
“With the assistance of my co-op advisor, I found a co-op with a judge in Cambridge juvenile court. For this co-op, I negotiated the hours I would be in-person and the number of hours I would work from home. So, when I’m in person at court, I observe procedures, trials and hearings. When I’m at home, I’m working on legal writing and research projects for the judge. Please let me know if you have any questions!”
- Jalon F. ’25
“I came across Northeastern’s FlexJD program and was immediately drawn to its flexibility. I ended up choosing FlexJD for this reason—flexibility. I was further attracted to the social justice-focused curriculum, co-op program, and overall sense of community Northeastern Law offered.”
- Rachel V. ’25
“The main reason I chose Northeastern was because of co-op. While working full time in a non-legal job, I am still able to get the co-op legal experience as part of the curriculum. It’s also been great to make connections with other students in the program, who work in so many different fields. I know some people in my Legal Skills in Social Context law office are in finance, some people are paralegals, some work in land ownership offices, some work in labs that do blood testing and others are firefighters. You get to learn so much about people’s lives and how everything that you do intersects somewhere legally. You make connections with people who become not only your friends, but are also imperative to your legal education and career.”
- Ellie F. ’26
Request Information
Complete the form below to get more information on the FlexJD program and connect with a member of our admissions team.