Law school after 50 Forum

[texaslawyer]

Milkwasabadchoice I've seen people go to medical school and become surgeons in their 50s and I've seen people start new careers at virtually any age. If I rolled over an played dead every time some assbite said I couldn't or shouldn't do something I WOULD NEVER HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A DAMN THING ! It's all about surivial in any endeavor which one undertakes. I believe I could cut it at any schhol, yes even the Holy Grail of this board Yale. I venture to say that most people piss up a rope if they had to change carrers in middle age. Most don't have the guts to do it, I already have and plan to keep reinventing myself. I'm a trust fund baby so my retirement was very well covered before the markets tanked. It will come back and I'll be fine. Now Junior go play with your little brother !

[rbergevine]

even if you do "quite well", I'm just surprised that you would want to start a career at 53 years old...

What type of law will you practice? How much do you have saved for retirement? Can you use a computer? Do you spend 30 min. in the grocery store trying to decide which granola cereal to buy? Do you decide in the end to just not buy granola cereal and then drive home going 35 in the right lane of a two laned highway?

Real classy post

[milkwasabadchoice]

even if you do "quite well", I'm just surprised that you would want to start a career at 53 years old...

What type of law will you practice? How much do you have saved for retirement? Can you use a computer? Do you spend 30 min. in the grocery store trying to decide which granola cereal to buy? Do you decide in the end to just not buy granola cereal and then drive home going 35 in the right lane of a two laned highway?

Real classy post

thank you

[texaslawyer]

Milk, I'll practice criminal law. DUIs. drugs assaults and whatever goon comes into my office.

[Lily]

Milk, I'll practice criminal law. DUIs. drugs assaults and whatever goon comes into my office.

If you do DUIs, I have a recommendation regarding advertising. This past weekend, I was at an event where you had to get a wristband in order to buy beers/drinks. A local attorney who does DUIs had an advertisement on the wristband. GENIUS! I can't figure out why I haven't seen this before. It seems like a no-brainer.

[JazzOne]

Milk, I'll practice criminal law. DUIs. drugs assaults and whatever goon comes into my office.

If you do DUIs, I have a recommendation regarding advertising. This past weekend, I was at an event where you had to get a wristband in order to buy beers/drinks. A local attorney who does DUIs had an advertisement on the wristband. GENIUS! I can't figure out why I haven't seen this before. It seems like a no-brainer.

There is a lawyer who leaves a stack of business cards in the restrooms of the local bars in my city. I always thought that was a clever way to target your likely customers.

The wristband idea is great since you will likely have the wristband on when you get to jail. It might be even funnier if it was a bail bondsman.

[texaslawyer]

Since the advertising prohibition for lawyers advertising has gone by the wayside, one must be creative in securing clients. I know an attorney in a major college town who speaks at many of the fraternity and sorority houses at the beginning of each semester and he does quite well. He isn't real popular with local law enforcement, but c'est la vie. DUI is extremely difficult to defend, especially in Florida. Typically the cases drag on for 2 years or more and the attorney tries to make the cop look like an idiot. The usual fee is $35k+, but if a person gets to keep their license and have no conviction on their record then it might be worth it.

[BradMM]

This is an old thread that I arrived at via a Google search. Re: retirement, I'll have mine at 56 and am considering the same route as texaslawyer. At this point, I'm just exploring but I'm in great health and have my financial matters all in line already... just would like to do something different for my remaining work years. I don't play golf or fish so why not!?! My wife is a PhD and will likely continue teaching, son is in Med School so that's kind of what we do.

[Renaissance]

Unexpectedly surprised by the narrow perspective of the some of the traditional students. Remuneration prospects appear to be the the dominant, if not their only, compelling reason for experiencing a law degree. As you mature, you may realize this not govern all "Non-Traditional" candidates and decision to pursue a given endeavour.

I'm 51, a global executive for fortune 25 corp., have a 1/2" thick passport, have lived, worked or travelled in 80+ countries, became a commercial pilot in my spare time just for fun, have flown my own airplane in 15+ countries, have ridden a motorcyle down from Everest base camp, I've dove the Blue Hole to 165'+, I've had bribe my way into two foriegn countries - one as a diplomat to continue my journey, hold a global patent for a business model, etc. I've even admonished a district attorney and judge in open court: "if you don't think the erosion of civil liberties is 'important' enough for the court's time, perhaps you've both chosen the wrong profession." - and was able to go on to win my case, representing myself because I had immersed myself in New York statute law . . . again, becuase I found it interesting. Now I'm considering a law degree. Not necessarily as a profession, but because I find it interesting.

The point is . . . unless you're a Buddhist, you're only here once. Look around and enjoy. There's a lot to see and do.

[texaslawyer]

My sentiments exactly ! Moreover, most traditional students won't get into a T14 school or land a job with a BIG LAW firm. I learned a long time ago there is more to life than one's chosen endeavor.

[WWAD]

My sentiments exactly ! Moreover, most traditional students won't get into a T14 school or land a job with a BIG LAW firm. I learned a long time ago there is more to life than one's chosen endeavor.

What did you end up doing? I am kind of in the same boat and getting ready to start this year.

[texaslawyer]

I was in transportation for a number of years and have been in insurance for the last 20 years.

[shutterbug]

No reason to choose schools until you have some idea of how you are going to do on the LSAT. If you are practicing in the 170's (which would be quite an achievement for someone 30 years out of undergrad, but definitely attainable) then no reason to look at Tier 4's. If in the 140's or 150's, you might want to look exclusively at Tier 3/Tier 4's.

A law degree from any Tier 3 or 4 school is useful as little more than toilet paper. Very few people, if any take a JD from a Tier 3 or 4 school seriously, which is why many people avoid those schools like the plague and the T14/Tier 1 or Bust mentality is so commonplace.

To the OP: Hope you didn't listen to this garbage advice.

[texaslawyer]

I paid no attention to it at all. Like I've said on many occasions, most traditional students won't get into a T14 law school or work for BIG LAW.

[aPosseAdEsse]

I don't know how schools look at applicants your age, but I respect the hell out of you for trying.

I don't know who has been giving you advice, but you are not getting anywhere near Northwestern with a 145 unless you have a dorm or something named after you. A score of 145 is the equivalent to a 46%.

For those schools I would shoot for something in the 160s, which starts at around a 73%. Northwestern will require something closer to 170.

Those answers are for someone in their 20's with a 3.5 GPA. I don't know how they will treat your application because of your age, maybe someone else can answer that. Good luck to you.

On the Oct 2009 test, a score of 160 was in the 81st percentile.

[WWAD]

I was in transportation for a number of years and have been in insurance for the last 20 years.

Sorry, no, I meant what did you end up doing about the test and school? This post started a while ago and I wanted to see what you have done/ decided in the interim.

[texaslawyer]

Sorry about that, I'm taking an LSAT prep course, Cutts Test Prep and am taking the LSAT in October. I got a 162 for a raw score.

[HaydenNoble]

I probably can't give you as much advice as other people on this forum can but I just have to tell you that I respect you attempting to go to law school at your age. (No harm intended really)

I would however like to add that job prospects in this economy for lawyers is super duper slim. I might add that if you haven't seen but the salaries of lawyers are bimodal and paying off a debt in law school would be very difficult from a lower tiered school. Nonetheless (and don't count me on this but I believe most would agree) that you have experience that would be schools would want.

In any case, I did not read anywhere past the second page but if you need suggestions for a way to study for the lsat (seeing that you are determined and experienced) you should probably go for a self-study and find tips from the powerscore bibles and online blogs such as the lsatblog (NYC tutor). No I am not endorsing his tutoring or anything, but I must say that the posts that he puts are by far the best I have ever seen.

Good luck!

[MD/JD2B]

Go for your dreams!! I start law school this fall and will be 50 when I graduate. I am entering law for very specific reasons which have evolved over the past 20 years. Most of my professional life has been in Top 5 academic medicine and the give and take with younger students/colleagues has been priceless. (has kept me youthful, lol) Can't wait!!

[alamolegalnurse]

I am 52 and starting evening law school next month at St Mary's University (TX). GPA 3.3 LSAT 159 This is the only application I sent because I wanted to stay here in my home. The Post 911 GI Bill will cover my tuition for 4 years since I am a retired Air Force nurse veteran of the Iraq War. I found this thread searching for others who are starting LS after 50. My ex-mother-in-law got her JD at 53 (Case Western Reserve) and still practices family law in her 70's.

I have always wanted to go to law school. I put 2 sons through their undergrad without debt and survived breast cancer; I think I'll do whatever I want at this time in my life. Oh and I have had at least one computer in my home since 1985 (before I got my first microwave!) and I have used online banking for over 10 years. Fifty is not old. Best of luck texaslawyer!

[VegasResident]

This has to be a flame. Unless someone is immortal, then its common knowledge that law school for people that close to the age of retirement is a waste of time and money. Law school is too expensive for the investment of time and money to be worth it at that age. Chances are the TC, even if he/she graduated wouldn't get much of a return on their investment, especially since there are too many lawyers right now AND employers are known to favor younger workers for hiring unless an older candidate is a last resort or if they have special qualifications (which the TC lacks for legal work due to not even having a JD as of now).

I'm ashamed of myself for not catching it the first time, but why post this thread in the LSAT Prep Forum when a thread like this clearly belongs in the Law School Admissions Forum?

Amazing how some people have no concept of age. At 50 years old, most people are at LEAST 15 years away from retirement and more now are 20 years away...a full career. Something in the favor of the older student is that the "return on investment" is no longer what they are after. They have done that already for 30 years. They are going to law school because of a passion for the education or a passion for something within the law...this is something missing from most younger graduates. To the older non-traditional student, paying off a loan through retirement really means nothing. They are not trying to pay it off before retiring. The favor of young attorney candidates is true in larger firms. But most older students do not want those jobs. They are looking for the niche areas, such as Elder Law, environmental, etc. Many have worked with the elderly (their parents)...have you? Have you navigated the terrors of Medicare and Medicaid trying to qualify elderly parents for nursing care? Probably not. Have you worked in regulatory compliance? Probably not. Your view of the law is so narrow that it fails to see the forest for the trees.

[941law]

tl;dr but...

purchase power score books
purchase the real actual old lsat's from lsac.org
check this site http://www.manhattanlsat.com/forums/ when you get questions wrong and don't know why

[MachineLemon]

I don't have to practice law. I have an insurance practice which is starting to click. I may just use a legal education to do some high dollar estate planning. Although, I could be a public defender or a prosecutor. Let's get me a 160+ on the LSAT and into law school before we make any decisions. I'm leaning toward selling my insurance practice and practicing law.

This is nuts. How are you going to keep up your insurance business? You can't work full time during law school. Sounds like you should be building your business rather than gambling all you've worked for.