OLD SCHOOL (must be 30 and over ITT) Forum

[lolschool2011]

I think we need a thread of our own to discuss and share considerations of the over-30 LS bound set. There seems to be an additional range or layer of variables involved in our decision to head back to LS, so I'd like to start the discussion here.....

If you care to share, how do plan to leverage your work experience both while in LS and afterwards when it's time to interview? (including summer work)

[homestyle28]

I think we need a thread of our own to discuss and share considerations of the over-30 LS bound set. There seems to be an additional range or layer of variables involved in our decision to head back to LS, so I'd like to start the discussion here.....

If you care to share, how do plan to leverage your work experience both while in LS and afterwards when it's time to interview? (including summer work)

I've been bouncing around grad school for most of my 20s. Not real WE, my hope is to convince them that I've gotten that intellectual wandering out of my system/less likely to have an existential crisis 6 months in to the job. If that doesn't work, suing for age discrimination.

edit: I'm 32.

[lolschool2011]

I think we need a thread of our own to discuss and share considerations of the over-30 LS bound set. There seems to be an additional range or layer of variables involved in our decision to head back to LS, so I'd like to start the discussion here.....

If you care to share, how do plan to leverage your work experience both while in LS and afterwards when it's time to interview? (including summer work)

I've been bouncing around grad school for most of my 20s. Not real WE, my hope is to convince them that I've gotten that intellectual wandering out of my system/less likely to have an existential crisis 6 months in to the job. If that doesn't work, suing for age discrimination.

edit: I'm 32.

I checked out your background and I think you have it spot-on.... I think becomming a lawyer is probably the only legitimate (read: paid) way to function as an employed philosopher in modern society.

[homestyle28]

I think we need a thread of our own to discuss and share considerations of the over-30 LS bound set. There seems to be an additional range or layer of variables involved in our decision to head back to LS, so I'd like to start the discussion here.....

If you care to share, how do plan to leverage your work experience both while in LS and afterwards when it's time to interview? (including summer work)

I've been bouncing around grad school for most of my 20s. Not real WE, my hope is to convince them that I've gotten that intellectual wandering out of my system/less likely to have an existential crisis 6 months in to the job. If that doesn't work, suing for age discrimination.

edit: I'm 32.

I checked out your background and I think you have it spot-on.... I think becomming a lawyer is probably the only legitimate (read: paid) way to function as an employed philosopher in modern society.

yup. You do get the bonus of quietly chuckling as people freak out about the legal job market though, so at least there's that.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Finally, a thread where I feel I belong!

Will also be 32 when I start. If i go IP or health law my background will be invaluable. If something else catches my fancy, I'm winging it and will be constantly having to explain myself in interviews.

Do y'all have houses you're trying to sell? Only looking in areas where commuting is doable?

[dj666]

I'm 38 with kids. My biggest consideration is quality of life for my family, and that does tend to complicate things. The issue I'm facing is deciding between attending the local T2 school (which is an excellent school, by all means), or packing up the family and moving for three years to attend a T14 school. Fortunately, my wife and I are very much on the same page. We haven't made any decisions yet, but we have a deadline and a plan.

It's difficult to admit that I'd consider choosing a school much further down in the rankings based on quality of life issues on a board that's populated with people who are at a very different point in their lives. But it's very, very hard to justify pulling my kids out of a school that they love (and we love, too) in order to move up the law school rankings.

As far as work experience goes, I have a pretty strong resume with lots of VP-level experience in web/software development. My hope is that this will come in handy if I pursue something in the realm of intellectual property law, or that all those years in management will work in my favor.

[dj666]

Do y'all have houses you're trying to sell? Only looking in areas where commuting is doable?

This is another big issue. We own a house and don't exactly want to sell it at a loss. The rental market here is pretty undervalued, so it's kind of a lose-lose.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

The issue I'm facing is deciding between attending the local T2 school (which is an excellent school, by all means), or packing up the family and moving for three years to attend a T14 school.

Amen, x10. It was much easier to pull the trigger 10 years ago. I don't want my better half to be left picking up the collateral damage.

[dj666]

The issue I'm facing is deciding between attending the local T2 school (which is an excellent school, by all means), or packing up the family and moving for three years to attend a T14 school.

Amen, x10. It was much easier to pull the trigger 10 years ago. I don't want my better half to be left picking up the collateral damage.

Fortunately, my better half and I agree on pretty much everything. We both waffle about what to do. She has a sister in Philly, so Penn is looking like a really strong option. Not sure about schools for the kids there, though.

Also note that, though my posts make it sound like I have poop in my pants, I'm really excited and lucky to be facing such a decision.

[oldhippie]

yay! fellow old folks!

i'll be 38 in a few weeks, no kids but a partner who is planning to quit his job and move for LS...we were already hoping to find jobs and move out west, then the GI bill happened and i realized i could do something i've long wanted to do (LS) with very little debt and it wold be a chance to move out west, so here we go!!

by FAR the scariest thing for me is selling the house....we're gonna put it on the market very soon, but we'll likely end up losing money...

[NonTradHealthLaw]

I was really counting on MegaMillions to bail me out, but alas, the thought of forfeiting >$100k in an upside down mortgage is going to keep us where we're at until after the signing bonus is in hand. (Nothing wrong with blind optimism, right?)

[masochist]

30+, reporting for posting.

I already have a Ph.D., all of my work experience involves academia, and I want to go into academic law. If the whole academic law thing works out, then I think I will be able to pretty clearly tie my work experience to a position. If not, I think I may be screwed. I doubt that biglaw will believe I actually want to do biglaw given my WE, and my earlier field of study doesn't directly translate into a very profitable field of law like IP. Maybe I'll do family law, or maybe I'll fake my own death and hide out as deckhand on a container ship for 20 years.

It might just be me, but is anyone else worried about the social aspect of going to law school in your 30s? I have been one of the youngest in my cohort for most of my academic career. It will be strange to suddenly be the old man. This may be an especially big concern for me since I am single and will be moving at least a thousand miles from most of my friends.

[oldhippie]

i'm actually completely excited about being the "old lady" in school - i work with college students now so i know i'll feel pretty comfortable, and i just feel like i have a bit to offer in terms of perspective and life experience that will be fun to share with people who are interested...
i'm also pretty immature, so i should fit right in

[KMaine]

Hello, all. I am a 38 y.o. 2L at Cornell. I am currently on a 1 month break, sitting around my house "writing my Law Review Note." Pretty good gig if you can get it. In any case, I think you all will really like law school. There are a few 30+ people in my class. It is not without its difficulties (we are renting out our house back in Maine). We came to Ithaca because it is a good balance of opening up doors for future employment and being a great place to raise kids. I am going to pick up my kids from school in a little bit, so may not be able to answer questions here, but feel free to p.m. me if I can answer anything for you. Good luck. Again, I think you will really like L.S.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Tosh.0 is my hero, so I think I'm also suitably immature when the situation merits.

Best advice I was given from a fellow nontrad - don't give unsolicited advice and you'll have no problem with the social game.

[smears]

31 here, so I barely make the cut for this thread. Nice to meet everyone.

[lolschool2011]

I was really counting on MegaMillions to bail me out, but alas, the thought of forfeiting >$100k in an upside down mortgage is going to keep us where we're at until after the signing bonus is in hand. (Nothing wrong with blind optimism, right?)

I have a hefty mortgage as well.... but I don't think there's any way I'd unload my property now. (too great a loss of equity)

I'm thinking of renting it out while I'm in LS....

[oldhippie]

i just hate the idea of dealing with tenants and the possibility of broken leases, etc from across the country. but reality dictates that we may well have to rent....so be it...something always works out!!

and i'm all about NOT giving unsolicited advice!

[lolschool2011]

It might just be me, but is anyone else worried about the social aspect of going to law school in your 30s? I have been one of the youngest in my cohort for most of my academic career. It will be strange to suddenly be the old man.

I personally am not worried about this whatsoever.... in fact, I think having substantial life experience is going to be an enormous advantage in law school. I also think we're going to relate to our professors much better as well.

[lolschool2011]

i just hate the idea of dealing with tenants and the possibility of broken leases, etc from across the country. but reality dictates that we may well have to rent....so be it...something always works out!!

and i'm all about NOT giving unsolicited advice!

Your tennants knowing your in law school will hopefully help dissuade them from pulling any stunts while your away. In fact, I'd continuously threaten them with all sorts of new legal terminology I'll learn during 1L....

[oldhippie]

i just hate the idea of dealing with tenants and the possibility of broken leases, etc from across the country. but reality dictates that we may well have to rent....so be it...something always works out!!

and i'm all about NOT giving unsolicited advice!

Your tennants knowing your in law school will hopefully help dissuade them from pulling any stunts while your away. In fact, I'd continuously threaten them with all sorts of new legal terminology I'll learn during 1L....

you might be onto something here

[homestyle28]

I was really counting on MegaMillions to bail me out, but alas, the thought of forfeiting >$100k in an upside down mortgage is going to keep us where we're at until after the signing bonus is in hand. (Nothing wrong with blind optimism, right?)

I have a hefty mortgage as well.... but I don't think there's any way I'd unload my property now. (too great a loss of equity)

I'm thinking of renting it out while I'm in LS....

Man this thread is taking off, went to lunch and BOOM, all us 30+s who should be working...Anywho definitely selling and moving and losing some $$ to do it. No local law school (unless 70 miles is local). Family in are where I'm headed. I've come to terms with the fact that we bought a house that required too much $$/improvements for the short term we have been in it (3 years). Given the substantial sum I'll already be investing in law school and childcare during law school a few tens of thousands isn't that big of a deal to me.

[homestyle28]

What are people's desired job outcomes after LS?
I'm heading in thinking public interest/ADA kind of stuff, but admit that I find the biglaw $$$ and experience appealing. Plus it sometimes seems that some biglaw jobs are actually easier to come by than USAO/DOJ etc.

[oldhippie]

I've come to terms with the fact that we bought a house that required too much $$/improvements for the short term we have been in it (3 years). Given the substantial sum I'll already be investing in law school and childcare during law school a few tens of thousands isn't that big of a deal to me.

this is my thinking exactly.

[trudat15]

I'm 30 and will be attending in the fall. How do you guys plan to answer the why law career change question. My background almost certainly wont help me in any particular areas of law.