OLD SCHOOL (must be 30 and over ITT) Forum

[spleenworship]

Chem, Spleen & Void, maybe?

Wormfather: Of Council?

Sure. You're all welcome so long as we keep PPP above $500k a year.

[elterrible78]

Chem, Spleen & Void, maybe?

Wormfather: Of Council?

Sure. You're all welcome so long as we keep PPP above $500k a year.

Make me a partner, but it may be better to keep my name off the company letterhead.

[FacePalm]

30+ 0L checking in to vote +1 on necromancing the old folks thread.

[r6_philly]

Every one of my friends is surprised at how old I really am. Age is just a number.

[miz]

Found my home. 54 yo. 0L. It begins this fall. Cant wait.

[spleenworship]

Found my home. 54 yo. 0L. It begins this fall. Cant wait.

Gratz!

[Twehttam]

Hi, everyone, great thread!

Mid-30s, married, and have been studying for the June LSAT since Feb when I'm not working ~55/hr wk.

I have over 10 yrs. of professional experience, primarily private sector but also some time as a federal employee. Currently in management at a research/analytics firm and will be giving up a good paying job for this, but it's a chapter of my life that has never been fully written. I also own a small business I launched during undergrad that's doing well. My uGPA from ~15 years ago isn't hot (3.2), so I'll need to do well on the LSAT. I do have my MPA from Michigan (GPA 8.5/9) that was recently completed.

My primary interest is PI.

Really appreciate this site and the advice I've tried to soak in over the past few months.

[r6_philly]

Hi, everyone, great thread!

Mid-30s, married, and have been studying for the June LSAT since Feb when I'm not working ~55/hr wk.

I have over 10 yrs. of professional experience, primarily private sector but also some time as a federal employee. Currently in management at a research/analytics firm and will be giving up a good paying job for this, but it's a chapter of my life that has never been fully written. I also own a small business I launched during undergrad that's doing well. My uGPA from ~15 years ago isn't hot (3.2), so I'll need to do well on the LSAT. I do have my MPA from Michigan (GPA 8.5/9) that was recently completed.

My primary interest is PI.

Really appreciate this site and the advice I've tried to soak in over the past few months.

I'd consider a good part time program if it is practical. I appreciate the opportunities I have received from being a law student full time, but I am not sure anything less than a few years of big law would justify giving up my career/pay for 3 years. I don't know if going full-time adds much for you for PI. Just a thought.

[Twehttam]

Thanks, r6, PT is a good point. It's not my preference, but something I'll consider; it would be a very difficult to decision to move forward w/o a significant scholarship as the loss of earnings would be hard to overcome. We'll see how the LSAT shakes out.

[Yossarian79]

Does anybody have any experience with having to pay out-of-pocket for health insurance (especially those folks with a family). I have a wife and a baby, and unfortunately my school doesn't appear to offer help defraying the cost of their "suggested" supplemental insurance (I need to contact the FinAid folks to confirm that). The cost of health insurance for the three of us, assuming my wife doesn't find a job, with benefits, in a new city in four months, looks prohibitive. Any suggestions, anyone?

[spleenworship]

Does anybody have any experience with having to pay out-of-pocket for health insurance (especially those folks with a family). I have a wife and a baby, and unfortunately my school doesn't appear to offer help defraying the cost of their "suggested" supplemental insurance (I need to contact the FinAid folks to confirm that). The cost of health insurance for the three of us, assuming my wife doesn't find a job, with benefits, in a new city in four months, looks prohibitive. Any suggestions, anyone?

Medicaid.


No, seriously, get on medicaid. It was the only way for my student wife, me, and the two kids to be covered.

You have paid taxes in the past, you will pay again in the future. No shame, just go get the food stamps and medicaid and work on paying society back later when you can.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Does anybody have any experience with having to pay out-of-pocket for health insurance (especially those folks with a family). I have a wife and a baby, and unfortunately my school doesn't appear to offer help defraying the cost of their "suggested" supplemental insurance (I need to contact the FinAid folks to confirm that). The cost of health insurance for the three of us, assuming my wife doesn't find a job, with benefits, in a new city in four months, looks prohibitive. Any suggestions, anyone?

Medicaid.


No, seriously, get on medicaid. It was the only way for my student wife, me, and the two kids to be covered.

You have paid taxes in the past, you will pay again in the future. No shame, just go get the food stamps and medicaid and work on paying society back later when you can.

I knew a number of people with spouses/kids who did this during grad school, especially when the spouses weren't working/were also students. That's what it's there for.

[redmessengerbag]

I'm 32 but will be 33 when I start law school and I can't wait!

I've had many years of good work experience. It's somewhat of a shame and I'm sure I will get flamed for this, but I applied because I wanted to go to grad school. I didn't want to get a MBA, at not right now, so I decided law school is it!

I will most likely end up doing part-time because I have a great paying job, my work is pretty interesting, but if I get into a top-20 school, I might consider doing it full time.

If I want to stay in the field I am in, having a law degree will help a great deal. Alternatively, I am hoping more that my experience will help the transition into an in-house counsel a bit easier, and perhaps skip the usual "required" biglaw experience.

[alawstudentsometime]

I'm 32 but will be 33 when I start law school and I can't wait!

I've had many years of good work experience. It's somewhat of a shame and I'm sure I will get flamed for this, but I applied because I wanted to go to grad school. I didn't want to get a MBA, at not right now, so I decided law school is it!

I will most likely end up doing part-time because I have a great paying job, my work is pretty interesting, but if I get into a top-20 school, I might consider doing it full time.

If I want to stay in the field I am in, having a law degree will help a great deal. Alternatively, I am hoping more that my experience will help the transition into an in-house counsel a bit easier, and perhaps skip the usual "required" biglaw experience.

I'll also be 33 when I start. Can't wait for fall.

[redmessengerbag]

I'll also be 33 when I start. Can't wait for fall.

Awesome!

Just need to figure out where now, lol. I wish I would get my rejection letters from the far reach schools already so I can settle down. But there is still the WL lottery. Fortunately though, Hastings and Minnesota WLs are becoming less and less attractive and improbable as I rationalize through those possibilities.

[rheannabanana]

Just turned 32 last Friday and I'll be a 1L this fall! I read through this entire thread and want to thank all of you for the much more welcoming (and realistic) attitude than many other parts of this forum. I am not 100% sure which school I will be attending yet, but I'm starting to narrow it down and I'm getting excited!!

[mr_toad]

Just wanted to wish all the oldie-newbies in this forum good luck. I was young 30s when I started almost two years ago (lower T-14) and I know multiple people in the late-20s to mid-30s who have excellent job outcomes/success stories thus far (I am super thrilled about my outcome, personally, and had no prior corporate America experience--wasn't even really asked any tough questions about that kind of thing at OCI except why I chose to leave an established career path for law). Can't speak for all of my more mature classmates (don't know all their outcomes), but in my experience, age has only been a benefit (have had multiple younger ones tell me they wish they would have waited, perhaps not as long as I did, but still; I've also made several very strong connections with professors that I think might be partially due to the age thing/maturity level, although obviously younger people can forge those as well). Can't speak to outcomes for people in late 30s and above because I don't know any, but non-K-JD is not per se going to hold you back. Go get 'em! Feel free to PM me for age-related (or other) advice.

[oldhippie]

hey y'all!
haven't posted in over a year but just wanted to chime in for the old folks:) turned 40 in feb, about to finish 2L, and want to echo the idea that my age has been nothing but an advantage so far. employers are definitely curious about the career change but are very happy to have access to someone who has actually been in the real world, knows how to communicate in person, and doesn't have to be taught how to be an employee. the law stuff comes with school, the common sense and knowing how to engage with people comes with age and experience.

good luck to everyone who is getting started in the fall...it's a wonderful journey and i have just loved it so far. happy to answer questions or offer more input for those who are interested...

[haus]

Thanks for the update hippie.

Perhaps I keen to change my username to oldhaus as I hit the big 40 last year.

[dawyzest1]

Checking in with this thread now that I am definitely set on doing this. I'll be 35 when I start, married, and living away from my family . I'm eager to get to work and see if my gray matter can handle the keen intellects of the under 25 set.

[40andlegal]

Checkin' in!!

I am 40. Will be 42 when I (hopefully) begin law school. Happily divorced and currently living with my SO of 3.5 years. My youngest daughter will begin undergrad the same semester I begin law school. I will be attending part-time. I am not financially in a position to leave my current job. I hope to attend Univ. of MD. It is only 20 minutes from work (30 with traffic) and I cannot afford the price of DC schools and the commute from work in Baltimore to class in DC would probably kill me....or someone else if my road rage kicked in.

I do fear employment prospects due to my age. I have been a paralegal for almost 10 years (did policy work prior to that). I don't want to end up a paralegal with a law degree for another 30

[elterrible78]

Checking in with this thread now that I am definitely set on doing this. I'll be 35 when I start, married, and living away from my family . I'm eager to get to work and see if my gray matter can handle the keen intellects of the under 25 set.

Wait, wait...do I have an alt account that I use when sleepwalking, or do we seem like we're just in exactly the same situation? Good luck to you!

[dawyzest1]

Checking in with this thread now that I am definitely set on doing this. I'll be 35 when I start, married, and living away from my family . I'm eager to get to work and see if my gray matter can handle the keen intellects of the under 25 set.

Wait, wait...do I have an alt account that I use when sleepwalking, or do we seem like we're just in exactly the same situation? Good luck to you!

I wish I was your alt account...I'd be a freaking boss (full ride to Chicago, 178 LSAT ). Good luck to you too! What's your goal for after you get out? Are you going to try to work for a firm? Are you as scared as I am that they will take one look at the resume, see a college degree awarded during the first W administration and toss it right into the garbage can?

[elterrible78]

Checking in with this thread now that I am definitely set on doing this. I'll be 35 when I start, married, and living away from my family . I'm eager to get to work and see if my gray matter can handle the keen intellects of the under 25 set.

Wait, wait...do I have an alt account that I use when sleepwalking, or do we seem like we're just in exactly the same situation? Good luck to you!

I wish I was your alt account...I'd be a freaking boss (full ride to Chicago, 178 LSAT ). Good luck to you too! What's your goal for after you get out? Are you going to try to work for a firm? Are you as scared as I am that they will take one look at the resume, see a college degree awarded during the first W administration and toss it right into the garbage can?

I used to be afraid of that, but not so much anymore. To be honest, reading through this thread and talking to career services people at a few schools has helped to allay those fears, but trust me...I was right there once, too. One thing that seems to have changed is that after the economy went in the toilet in 2008, a lot of any ageist bias that may have existed largely disappeared, because firms started finding candidates who knew what a job was all about pretty attractive, comparatively. I mean, I could be wrong and just setting myself up for disappointment, but I think that we'll be okay

I think I'll probably end up working at a firm (fingers crossed) but I'm definitely open to other possibilities...a federal clerkship would be fantastic! But I'm trying not to count my chickens, and I want to enter with an open mind. How about you? And what's your family situation going to be like when you're at school?

EDIT: I see you turned down a full ride at Duke for Harvard. I think you have even less to worry about than I thought!

[dawyzest1]

Checking in with this thread now that I am definitely set on doing this. I'll be 35 when I start, married, and living away from my family . I'm eager to get to work and see if my gray matter can handle the keen intellects of the under 25 set.

Wait, wait...do I have an alt account that I use when sleepwalking, or do we seem like we're just in exactly the same situation? Good luck to you!

I wish I was your alt account...I'd be a freaking boss (full ride to Chicago, 178 LSAT ). Good luck to you too! What's your goal for after you get out? Are you going to try to work for a firm? Are you as scared as I am that they will take one look at the resume, see a college degree awarded during the first W administration and toss it right into the garbage can?

I used to be afraid of that, but not so much anymore. To be honest, reading through this thread and talking to career services people at a few schools has helped to allay those fears, but trust me...I was right there once, too. One thing that seems to have changed is that after the economy went in the toilet in 2008, a lot of any ageist bias that may have existed largely disappeared, because firms started finding candidates who knew what a job was all about pretty attractive, comparatively. I mean, I could be wrong and just setting myself up for disappointment, but I think that we'll be okay

I think I'll probably end up working at a firm (fingers crossed) but I'm definitely open to other possibilities...a federal clerkship would be fantastic! But I'm trying not to count my chickens, and I want to enter with an open mind. How about you? And what's your family situation going to be like when you're at school?

EDIT: I see you turned down a full ride at Duke for Harvard. I think you have even less to worry about than I thought!

I appreciate your optimism and am going to try to get out of my anxious mindset about it. I basically want to do what you want to do. The clerkship would be huge for me because I want to do litigation and would love to have academia as an option. But if I am just a median kind of guy, I will be happy to take my chances and go straight to biglaw. Hope it works out for us!

The family situation will be challenging for sure, but ultimately my wife and I decided that it would be silly to uproot the whole family (we have an 8 year old and 4 year old) and move to Boston just to turn around and come back to the south when I finished. So, we will grin and bear the 8/9 months I'll be in Cambridge and I will do whatever I can to be in Atlanta during the summers. The Atlanta legal market is a mess so I could strike out there, really throwing things up into the air. What's your situation like?