Part-Time Program, Full-Time Benefits
Royal Farley '25
Royal Farley '25 was already successful in his career when he decided to return to school for his J.D. Chicago-Kent's part-time program allows him to advance his career without putting it on hold.
“I am a much more well-rounded professional thanks to Chicago-Kent’s classes, student body, and faculty,” says Royal Farley ’25.
Farley was already successful in a rewarding career before he decided to pursue his J.D.
“I worked for nine years in the private sector as a product marketing manager for one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations. In this role, I worked closely with the company’s general counsel on trademark, copyright, tech transactions, and data privacy issues. This work exposed me to a possible career path at the intersection of law and technology where I could make meaningful contributions to organizations on a larger scale.”
Farley’s search for the perfect part-time law program brought him to Chicago-Kent College of Law.
“Chicago-Kent ranked among the top 20 best part-time law programs by U.S. News & World Report, so I wanted to learn more about the school,” he says. “I attended all of the law school’s information sessions for prospective students where existing students painted a picture of a tight-knit, inclusive, and diverse law school community.”
After learning about the many ways Chicago-Kent students can tailor their academic experience, including the multiple J.D. certificate specialization programs, Farley decided that Chicago-Kent was the place he needed to be if he wanted to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to take his career to the next level. His professors did not disappoint.
“All my professors tailor their classes to demonstrate how a specific area of law impacts contemporary issues, and there are even classes dedicated to preparing students for the way new technology or future societal trends will shape how legal professionals represent their clients,” he says. “My courses so far have been challenging but fair, and after each semester, I feel that I learned the subject matter well enough to apply the core principles to real-life situations.”
The career boost he was looking for has already started to come to fruition with outside opportunities. His first summer, he worked as a summer associate at a local law firm. Chicago-Kent’s Office of Career Development and Professionalism helped him prepare for the interviews and land the job.
“Through the work with my career adviser, I positioned my professional experience in a way that demonstrated value to law firm recruiters and made me a more marketable candidate,” he says. “The Career Services Office also helped me find job prospects at organizations that specialized in the area of law that I am interested in, which led to higher quality job leads.”
Chicago-Kent’s alumni network has also been supportive.
“I have been amazed by the willingness of the Chicago-Kent alums to meet with me for informational interviews and coffee, sharing all the different career opportunities available with a J.D.,” he says.
Farley has also been getting involved with school organizations. His first year, he acted as the 1L Representative for the Evening Section at the Black Law Students Association, helping to fund raise for initiatives to support communities that are underrepresented in the legal profession. He also acts as a mentor for the Black Men Lawyers’ Association.
“I advise aspiring minority law students about the law school application process and existing students about maintaining a healthy work-life balance,” he says.
Farley earned his Bachelor of Arts in Legal Communications from Howard University and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Georgetown University prior to attending Chicago-Kent. He is on the Dean’s Honor List for his work at Chicago-Kent. He plans to leverage his hard work into future success.
“Immediately after graduation, I want to work on a transactional team at a big law firm and help clients navigate their biggest business decisions,” he says. “In the long term, I want to apply the expertise from the law firm to helping minority entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses and improve DEI across industries.
“Chicago-Kent is what you make it, and the school can reciprocate what you invest in your education,” he says.
