Top Law Schools

I'm considering law school, and would graduate at the age of 29. I was wondering if graduating at 29, while most my class mates would be graduating at 25-26, would have a negative effect on my big law chances. I get the vibe that big law firms like younger associates.

Can you do anything about your age? No. So stop worrying about it. Also, you're a baby. So stop worrying about it - Biglaw certainly doesn't care.

Go to NU. Lots of us were that age/older by graduation.

No, it won't make a difference. There may (may!) be a few employers who prefer brand new shiny malleable K-JDs, but then there are also employers who prefer people with work experience for whom your age will be an advantage.

Thanks for the responses. I just wasn't sure how big law looked at age. I know that they try to push you out after five years if you're not on partner track. I wasn't sure if they prefered younger associates for this reason.

Isn't 27-28 the average age of graduates?

will graduate at 31 and so far being older seems to help based on the CBs i've done so far.

withoutapaddle wrote:I'm considering law school, and would graduate at the age of 29. I was wondering if graduating at 29, while most my class mates would be graduating at 25-26, would have a negative effect on my big law chances. I get the vibe that big law firms like younger associates.

By law school standards, late 20s isn't "old." It will be a non-factor.

For what it's worth, people at my law school in their mid-30s seemed to do at least as well at OCI as younger students.

It won't make a difference.

I honestly can't imagine such a small difference would matter... a friend of my brother graduated at 33(or maybe even more) and went straight to Latham...

I've had interviewers shit on K-JDs in interviews unprompted when discussing my experience. It's going to depend, but the firm that cares about it too much is probably a firm you don't want to work for anyway.

First Offense wrote:I've had interviewers shit on K-JDs in interviews unprompted when discussing my experience. It's going to depend, but the firm that cares about it too much is probably a firm you don't want to work for anyway.

Yup. They could be bullshitting for my benefit, but interviewers have largely gushed about my age and WE. And like First said, they tend to take unprompted pot shots at K-JDs.
I don't think being "older" hurts at all in today's legal hiring.

Pretty sure the median age for my class at my firm was around 29 when we started.