Student Spotlight: Tamara Harounian

Tamara Harounian was “dead set” on attending a full-time law school program—at least until COVID shifted her perspective. But just before she was set to leave her position as a practice assistant at White & Case LLP to go to law school, she realized how much she had missed the human connection during the pandemic, and that she appreciated her coworkers more than ever. So she reconsidered, deciding to stay at the firm, where she had built a unique, meaningful role assisting attorneys and working on pro-bono matters.

The only problem was that she still wanted to earn her law degree.

Enter the Touro Law Center’s FlexTime JD program—now offered at both Touro Law’s Long Island and Manhattan campuses.

“My mom’s paralegal had gone through the program and raved about it,” says Harounian, who’s from Great Neck on Long Island. “I finally gave in and applied—pretty late—and was accepted just two weeks later.”

The innovative, four-year FlexTime program requires in-person attendance on Sundays only, enabling her to keep her job at White & Case while studying law just blocks away from her office. Now based in Midtown Manhattan, Harounian, who is in her second year of the FlexTime law program, has a demanding work schedule and equally rigorous law studies. Her typical week includes long days at the office as well as hours of reading and accessing recorded video lectures when she can, and full-day classes on Sundays.

“Balancing Touro Law’s FlexTime program with working full time at a law firm has definitely been challenging but worth it,” she says. “The Sunday-only in-person format allows me to juggle school with the demands of my busy job and personal life.”

She’s undecided on what field of law to enter, though she is leaning toward family or education law. But Harounian says the program is preparing her for whichever direction she decides to go.

“It’s played a key role in preparing me for my future career in law, helping me hone essential skills like time management, critical thinking and problem-solving,” she said. “Balancing coursework with my professional and personal commitments has strengthened my ability to adapt to challenges and stay focused under pressure—skills that will be invaluable in any area of law I choose to pursue.”

Yet, Harounian has found more than skills and a schedule that works for her—she’s found a community.

“My tight-knit cohort has been a huge part of the experience, and the professors are inspiring,” Harounian says. “The program was overwhelming at first, but now it feels like a dream come true.”

Harounian’s words are echoed by the director of the FlexTime JD Program in Manhattan and professor of law, Laura Dooley, who shares that “FlexTime students are highly motivated and dedicated students—and they form a unique bond as they navigate law school while balancing the demands of jobs, families and other obligations. They graduate with law degrees as well as lifelong friends and colleagues.”