Are Biglaw NYC firms against "old" graduates? Forum

[roranoa]

Do you think NYC Biglaw are reluctant to take in old graduates?

(Old: 33-36)

'Cause that's what I've heard.

Any opinions?

[kwais]

Why do we have 2 of these going at once?

Some seem to appreciate work experience, some seem to stay away from older folks

[Anonymous User]

Do you think NYC Biglaw are reluctant to take in old graduates?

(Old: 33-36)

'Cause that's what I've heard.

Any opinions?

Some firms—Skadden comes to mind—seem more willing to take older graduates than others.

[Anonymous User]

Do you think NYC Biglaw are reluctant to take in old graduates?

(Old: 33-36)

'Cause that's what I've heard.

Any opinions?

Some are and some aren't. I've had some firms come out and say, "we prefer k-jd type hires" and others that say, "we don't hire anyone without real WE." I am in my mid-thirties and over all I don't think it's been a big negative. If you spent the last 10 years of your life working at Kinko's or Burger King, maybe. But if you have some solid WE over that time, and your older, I don't think it matters much. Two reoccurring question I have received in regards to attending law school so "late" in life is "why leave your career to attend law school," and "would you be ok working with and taking direction from someone younger than you?" If you have solid responses to those questions you should be ok.

[roranoa]

Why do we have 2 of these going at once?

Some seem to appreciate work experience, some seem to stay away from older folks

I don't know what you mean by your first sentence.

[henry flower]

In my experience, it's been a negative, but that could be me mixing up correlation and causation. I did have one pointed "age" question that made me want to punch the screener in the face. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten rid of the grays pre-recruiting season.