Moms are creative, good communicators, and have a great deal of perseverance. The best lawyers have these same qualities. It should be no surprise then to find mothers in law school classrooms across the country. But many put off their legal education ambitions because of work and family commitments. Until recently.
Mitchell Hamline School of Law, on St. Paul’s iconic Summit Avenue, offers the most enrollment options of any law school in the country—giving parents the flexibility they need to go to law school. Students can choose from full-time, part-time, on-campus, and blended-learning enrollment options. Below, you’ll meet three moms who took a chance on their law school dreams.
Muteeat Lawal
St. Paul, Minnesota
“At Mitchell Hamline, especially, there is a strong sense of community,” says Muteeat Lawal. That’s what drew her there. She is originally from Boston, Massachusetts and will graduate in May 2019. Now, her 7-year-old son is attending a public French immersion school, which she says would be private and very expensive on the East Coast. She is considering making St. Paul her permanent home after graduation.
She’s doing her part to create a supportive community by serving as president of Parents Attending Law School (PALS). She says there are about 35 members of the student organization. They are planning a painting event, movie night, and organizing a panel of attorneys to discuss what it was like to go to law school as a parent.
Finding balance is critical for parents with busy careers and law school schedules. Muteeat began at Mitchell Hamline as a full-time student, is now part-time, and will take her last semester of courses completely online. She is employed full time through a judicial clerkship with Minnesota 2nd Judicial District Judge Nicole Starr. She studies at night and on the weekends. Her advice for other moms considering law school: “Just do it. A lot of people put it off, but just do it.”
Sarah Dannecker
Rosemount, Minnesota
After graduating from Hamline University in 2004, Sarah Dannecker wanted to enroll in law school, but her life went in a different direction. She became pregnant and worked full time to support herself and her son. Now, at 36, she’s a 3L at Mitchell Hamline.
Sarah took advantage of Mitchell Hamline’s flexible enrollment options. She recently transitioned from being a part-time evening student to going to school full time. She also shifted from working full time to working part-time as a law clerk for Donaldson Company. Sarah studies in the time between work and school and all weekend, except for Fridays, when she takes a break.
Her son, now 14, is proud of her for attending law school, and she is grateful for the opportunities she’s had. “I didn’t have to quit my job in order to go to law school,” she said. “That for me was a really nice feature of Mitchell Hamline.”
Briana al Taqatqa ’18
Mound, Minnesota
The Hybrid J.D. program—a blended-learning enrollment option that is partly online and partly in-person—allowed Briana al Taqatqa to work and spend time with her family, including her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, while going to law school. “I went to work and then I got to go home and be mom, and be wife, and be with my family, and put my daughter to bed, and then study at night. So, that flexibility is why I chose the Hybrid program,” she says.
Since Mitchell Hamline began offering the Hybrid program—the nation’s first half online/half on-campus J.D. program at an ABA-approved law school—three years ago, more than 350 students have enrolled. The part-time, eight-semester program includes a Capstone Week at the end of each semester in which students come to campus for intensive experiential learning.
For prospective students who are considering law school at Mitchell Hamline, Briana says, “Don’t worry about the concerns of having to quit your job or losing time with your family. You can do it all. You can work, you can have a family, you can go to law school, and you can create a new future for yourself at Mitchell Hamline.” Briana graduated from Mitchell Hamline in January 2018 and is now a practicing attorney at Dorsey & Whitney in downtown Minneapolis.
Mitchell Hamline School of Law provides a rigorous legal education grounded in theory and distinguished by exceptional practical training. We continually shape our legal education to be relevant to you, your future clients, and the legal profession. Mitchell Hamline is committed to making legal education accessible and offers an unmatched number of enrollment options. Our graduates are prepared to compete successfully for jobs that exist today and positioned to excel in jobs yet to be created.
