Graduating law school at 30...too old? Forum

[testmachine45]

Been out of school 3 yrs....but by the time I graduate law school, I'll be 30. Is this too old? Is my life/career over?

[danidancer]

I'll be graduating at 29...

[Holly Golightly]

Yes. Just /self now.

[testmachine45]

I'll be graduating at 29...

It's not a big deal for the top schools, I think.

[theavrock]

I hope not. I'll be 31

[kalvano]

Better not be. I haven't even started yet and I'm 30.

[Frogger293]

Nah, plenty of people graduate around that age.

[testmachine45]

The only thing that worries me is that I know two people at Columbia Law.

One has a Phd in Philosophy and graduated this year from Columbia Law, and is a great guy, but he is 36. ZERO job offers.....

The other person I know is 33, out of the military, at Columbia Law, and he also is looking for work.

I know another guy from Wash U Law who upon graduation was 34...and before going to Wash U Law he was an investment banker at Goldman for like 4 or 5 years. He now lives at his parents farm cause he couldnt get a job upon graduating last year.

[neimanmarxist]

this info isn't so useful if you don't know anything about how they did GPA-wise and where they ranked in their class though, right? For the record, I'll be older than you when I finish law school.

[northwood]

it is common to finish law school in your early 30's.

[tamlyric]

this info isn't so useful if you don't know anything about how they did GPA-wise and where they ranked in their class though, right? For the record, I'll be older than you when I finish law school.

i see what you did there.

[BaronDetroit]

Your a youngster. People who are 26 or 27 think there old in law school for some odd reason.

[creamedcats]

I'll be 30 when I graduate. No big deal.

[testmachine45]

Right, but if you finish top 50% at Cornell and are 30, its different than finishing top 1% at New York Law School at 30.

[neimanmarxist]

this info isn't so useful if you don't know anything about how they did GPA-wise and where they ranked in their class though, right? For the record, I'll be older than you when I finish law school.

i see what you did there.

Panic In The Streets!!!!

[testmachine45]

this info isn't so useful if you don't know anything about how they did GPA-wise and where they ranked in their class though, right? For the record, I'll be older than you when I finish law school.

How old?

[CanadianWolf]

If interpreting this thread as "is graduating law school at age 30 too old for BigLaw", then I speculate that age is of concern at some point, although that age is probably a bit beyond thirty. For an over 30 law school graduate with sought after skills from prior experience, the employment process should be a friendlier endevour than for one with less needed knowledge. At one time any attorney with immigration experience, for example, was welcomed with open arms to large law firms with newly growing international client base. But that older attorney with a needed specialized skill set may not be hired on an equity partnership track unless they can attract a substantial client base to the firm.
Another related issue is whether older prospective law students need to focus on top law schools if employment with major law firms is not a realistic expectation upon graduation. Those expecting to graduate law school in their late 30s or early 40s may be better served by law schools with active clinical internship programs so that they can hit the ground running upon graduation from law school.

[danidancer]

Another thing to keep in mind is that employers have no real way of knowing your exact age when you interview with them. Sure they'll have your undergrad graduation year, but the age at which people graduate college can vary widely. I'd say that anywhere between, say, 21 and 23 would be considered "normal," and then there are the super early starters, those who graduate in three years, those who graduate in 5 or 6 years, those who took time off before starting, etc. I had a friend who graduated at 19 and started law school at 20! So, firms can kind of guess your age I guess, but they have no real way of knowing for sure. Hell, at 26 I still get carded at every single bar I go to.

[MartianManhunter]

No.

[slider]

Another thing to keep in mind is that employers have no real way of knowing your exact age when you interview with them. Sure they'll have your undergrad graduation year, but the age at which people graduate college can vary widely. I'd say that anywhere between, say, 21 and 23 would be considered "normal," and then there are the super early starters, those who graduate in three years, those who graduate in 5 or 6 years, those who took time off before starting, etc. I had a friend who graduated at 19 and started law school at 20! So, firms can kind of guess your age I guess, but they have no real way of knowing for sure. Hell, at 26 I still get carded at every single bar I go to.

Me too!!

Oh and Career Services told us that firms look favorably on students in their late 20s / early 30s with good work experience.

[McNulty]

Average age of first years at a lot of schools I am looking at is 25. You should be fine.

[StudentAthlete]

I'm sure you'll be fine. Granted I went straight from UGrad to LS but most of the people in my classes and whom I associate with are 25-26 and just finished their 1L's as well.

[op-ti]

I'll be 29...I dont think its a big deal

[yellowjacket2012]

I'll have turned 29 when I graduate, given that I plan on "a" clerkship, if life is lucky - I'll be 30, maybe 31 - when I "start out in the real world" - my my, what a waste of three decades.

[alamolegalnurse]

I'll be 55. My ex-mother-in-law graduated from Case Western Reserve at 53 and is still practicing family law in Cleveland in her early 70s. I retired from a career in military nursing so I am not looking for "Big Law" but I don't think any age is too old. Good Luck.