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Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:07 am
by miamilaw28
What do you think? Would firms not hire me because of my age? I'd be 33 when i finish.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:09 am
by orangeswarm
No way. A lot of people start law school late. 33 isn't bad at all.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:22 am
by brjames87
If its what you want do it!

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:22 am
by egrubs
If so, I'm screwed.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:34 am
by Luxor
Lots of people go to law school at 30 or later. The only issue you might want to think about is the work requirements of lawyers early in their career v. obligations to family you might have in your mid 30s.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:18 am
by jackalope
I'll be 35 when I finish, bro. Don't sweat it. Just wash that grey right out of your hair before a job interview.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:48 am
by Pro Hac Vice
attorneys that are more senior than you will likely respect you more than the 24 year olds that you will be starting with since you have actual life skills. consider it a plus.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:06 am
by Tex_Mex13
...

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:20 am
by Oklahoma Mike
No. Average age for entry at Northwestern is 26, there are plenty there in their thirties- and they place extremely well. Deldad is at Penn and has a good job set up for this summer after 1L

Not a problem at all. (better not be since I'll turn 30 during 1L)

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:18 am
by Drew82abndiv
IMO law firms will look highly upon someone more mature with more experience. Plus, 33 is not that old! They can still get 25+ years out of you at the firm if you are worth your weight so no big deal! Like a previous poster said, if it is what you want - go for it...you only live once! :twisted:

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:01 am
by DelDad
In my mid thirties, I'm not the oldest person in my class by a full 20 years. I will say my experiences rooming part time with 22 year olds has been....interesting, but other than that, age hasn't been a negative factor at all. I do think it helped somewhat in my interviews for summer jobs, however.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:42 pm
by brokendowncar
I took the LSAT with an 80 year old. I think 30 will be no big deal.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:14 pm
by nellie06
They made it through the test without falling asleep?

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:27 pm
by brokendowncar
He didn't fall asleep. It did take him a good 20 minutes to fill out that handwritten portion of the test. Because of his inability to fill out the bubbles in a reasonable amount of time, I had to pee through about half of the test.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:32 pm
by aberman
My uncle went to law school when he was about fifty, and a good one-fourth of the students I teach (LSAT) are over thirty. I spend two hours teaching them how to take a standardized test, and they spend the last hour teaching me important life lessons--if anything, I think your age is an advantage :wink:

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:43 pm
by nellie06
lol at the old man post. Gee wilickers I wasn't prepared for a bubble sheet!

Well if 40 is the new 30, then 30 must be the new 20 right? So 20 is the new 10? That would make a lot of relationships seem very illegal right now haha.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:53 pm
by SecondTimeAround
I'm 47 and don't feel out of place (though I go to an evening program where there are a good number of older students, though few as old as I am). On the other hand, my "life experience" has been of no clear advantage in understanding the cases or in the classroom. I hear that some of the "biglaw" firms don't like older students, thinking they won't work as hard or take the same abuse as younger people will; but I don't know how true that is -- either the perception of the part of the firms, or what older people will or will not take.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:04 pm
by applyingtoschool
Absolutely not.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:32 pm
by LabRat
I hope it isn't a problem as I'll be 40 when graduating.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:40 pm
by biochemist
I'll be 31 when I start, and and 34 when I finish (going part-time).

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:28 pm
by Shag Waits
Some other advantages: hungover less often than the youngins and not obsessed about getting laid all the time.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:33 pm
by egrubs
Shag Waits wrote:and not obsessed about getting laid all the time.
Speak for yourself.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:36 pm
by brokendowncar
There is no way it will run your life like it does the average 23 year old. Almost every 23 year old guy I know can't settle down and has to find a new girl every month. Surely once we mature we will settle down?

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:39 pm
by jmo7
Some other advantages: hungover less often than the youngins and not obsessed about getting laid all the time.
he's exactly right. if I spent even 25% as much time studying as I do chasing tail and drinking... no wait, I can't think about that, I have to strategize a way to get laid.

Re: Is 30 too old for law school?

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:04 pm
by overtheoxer
I'll be 35 when I start, so I hope 30 isn't too old!