Pursue Law Education Without Pausing Your Career: Inside Pace University’s FLEX JD Program with Anne Sekula

Law school has traditionally been designed for recent college graduates who can commit three consecutive years to full-time study. For professionals with established careers, families, and financial obligations, that model often feels out of reach. Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law addressed this gap with its FLEX JD program, a structure that lets students combine day and evening classes, carry a slightly reduced course load, and continue meeting work and family responsibilities while earning a Juris Doctor.

The story of Anne Sekula ’28 demonstrates what this kind of law education makes possible. A nonprofit and philanthropic leader with decades of experience, Anne enrolled at Haub Law after realizing that policy advocacy alone could not deliver the change she wanted to see. Her experience offers concrete lessons for anyone in the USA considering law school later in life.

Considering a law degree but unsure how it would fit around your career? Request information about Pace University’s FLEX JD program to review scheduling options, course formats, and admission requirements.

Why the FLEX JD Program Stands Out for Working Professionals

Flexibility is the defining feature of the FLEX JD program, but it is flexibility with structure. Students choose a mix of day and evening classes each semester, which allows them to keep jobs, care for children, and manage other commitments. Rather than forcing students into a rigid timetable, the program lets them design a schedule around their lives.

Anne Sekula entered the program while running a consulting practice and raising a family. “I needed a program that gave me flexibility so I could continue working, parenting, and still spend time with my spouse—and sleep,” she explains. By combining day and evening classes, she has been able to limit her time on campus to just a few days a week during her second and third years, and she describes the scheduling process as seamless.

A Reduced Load That Remains Rigorous

FLEX JD students typically take one fewer class per semester than their full-time counterparts. That reduction makes balancing commitments realistic without diluting the academic experience. Anne estimates she dedicates 45 to 60 hours per week to her studies—a demanding pace that reflects the rigor of legal education, simply distributed in a way that accommodates real life.

Prospective students should understand this clearly: flexible does not mean easy. A part-time track law degree still requires reading-intensive coursework, class participation, exams, and legal writing. What the FLEX JD changes is when and how you engage with that workload, not its depth.

From Policy Advocacy to Legal Training: Anne Sekula’s Path

Anne’s route to law school began long before she submitted her application. Raised on a dairy farm in rural Virginia as the youngest of seven girls, she grew up in a household where education was a priority even when money was tight. She knew early on that she cared about justice, but she assumed law school was financially out of reach.

Instead, she built a career in service. She started as a social worker supporting single mothers and children experiencing homelessness, then moved into the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. After earning a Master’s in Education from Harvard, she worked on issues ranging from education reform to workforce development and domestic violence.

Over time, a frustration emerged. “I became frustrated advocating for policy and public funding and seeing well-supported, evidence-based efforts fall off legislative and philanthropic agendas,” Anne says. “I realized I didn’t have the specific skill set needed to move that work forward.” A move to New York created the opening for a mid-career transition, and the FLEX JD program at Pace University made that transition feasible given her geographic and family constraints.

Her experience highlights an important point for prospective applicants: law school is not only for those who have always planned to become lawyers. It is a powerful credential for professionals who hit a ceiling in their current work and need new tools—legal reasoning, statutory analysis, litigation strategy—to advance their missions.

Hands-On Law Education at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law

Classroom instruction alone rarely prepares lawyers for practice. Haub Law builds experiential learning into the student experience, and Anne has taken full advantage of it.

Clinical Work That Serves Real Clients

Through the Pace Women’s Justice Center Family Court Legal Program, Anne has gained hands-on courtroom experience while supporting low-income clients navigating complex family law matters. This type of work does two things at once: it develops practical skills such as client counseling and court procedure, and it connects students to the communities they intend to serve.

Anne has also pursued internships aligned with her interests in public interest and reproductive justice law, including work with a law firm and a role as a policy analyst for a national association of governors. These placements let her merge her prior policy expertise with her developing legal skills—a combination that will define her career going forward.

Want to build courtroom experience before you graduate? Explore the clinical and experiential learning opportunities available through Haub Law, and schedule a campus visit to see the programs in action.

Law Review Leadership for Part-Time Students

Many part-time students assume that scholarly opportunities like law review belong exclusively to full-time students. Anne disproved that assumption. She joined the Pace Law Review during her second year and will serve as Editor-in-Chief in her final year—an achievement she considers especially meaningful for part-time students. “We are committed to making Law Review flexible enough to accommodate part-time students so they also have the opportunity to pursue scholarly work within a busy schedule,” she says.

Faculty Who Bring Practice Into the Classroom

Strong mentorship shapes legal education, and Anne points to Professor Jessica Miles as a defining influence. Professor Miles spent years practicing family and domestic violence law and is currently writing a casebook on domestic violence, bringing lived professional insight directly into her teaching. “Learning directly from her has been amazing,” Anne notes.

Community matters just as much as coursework. Organizations such as the Public Interest Law Students Organization and Older Wiser Law Students give part-time and career-changing students a network of peers who share their commitment to practical, community-centered lawyering. For adult learners who might otherwise feel isolated on campus, these groups provide both professional connections and steady encouragement.

Practical Lessons for Prospective FLEX JD Students

Anne’s experience yields actionable advice for anyone weighing a similar move:

• Clarify your motivation before you apply. Anne’s decision grew out of a specific professional frustration. Knowing exactly what you need from a legal education helps you choose the right program and articulate your goals during the admission process.
• Audit your real weekly capacity. Plan for 45 to 60 hours of school-related work each week, even on a reduced load. Review your work and family commitments honestly before committing.
• Test scheduling flexibility. Ask admissions officers exactly how day and evening courses combine, how often you will need to be on campus, and how the schedule evolves across all three years.
• Use experiential programs strategically. Choose clinics, internships, and journal roles that build toward your target practice area, as Anne did with her family court and reproductive justice placements.
• Do not shortcut the academic work. “You don’t need to wait 25 years to return to law school—but it’s never too late,” Anne advises. “Don’t shortcut the work. Read the cases, brief them, and build your understanding step by step.”

Building a Career in Public Interest Law

Anne’s goals illustrate where a FLEX JD can lead. She plans to build a career in reproductive justice, combining policy development with litigation to support individuals, physicians, and organizations working to ensure access to care. She also intends to continue supporting survivors of domestic violence through organizations such as the Pace Women’s Justice Center.

Her trajectory shows how prior professional experience compounds with legal training. Years of nonprofit leadership did not become irrelevant when she entered law school—they became the foundation for a distinctive legal career that few traditional graduates can match. Employers in public interest law, government, and policy increasingly value candidates who arrive with both field experience and legal credentials.

Have questions about transitioning from a nonprofit or policy career into law? Write to us—our team can connect you with resources and answer your questions about the application process.

Take the Next Step Toward Law Education at Pace University

The FLEX JD program at Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law exists for people like Anne Sekula: experienced professionals with clear goals who need a legal education that adapts to their circumstances. If you have been postponing law school because of work, family, or geography, Anne’s story is evidence that a well-structured flexible program can hold those commitments in balance.

Start by doing your research. Review the program structure, attend an admission event, and talk to current students about how they manage their schedules. When you are ready, submit your application—the sooner you begin, the sooner you can map out a schedule that works for you.

And if you have already made a similar mid-career transition into law school, share your experiences in the comments below. Your insight could help the next reader decide it is finally their turn.