Too Old for Law School? Forum

[kn6542]

I am 33 and I am just graduating UG this year. I feel like I have a HUGE advantage over my younger classmates in just about everything. They are learning some lessons about life that I already had the pleasure of grasping. You will appreciate your age.

Yes, and when you go to law school, you will be surrounded by an astonishing number of 25 yr olds who are incapable of changing their own underwear. Good times.

[r6_philly]

I am 33 and I am just graduating UG this year. I feel like I have a HUGE advantage over my younger classmates in just about everything. They are learning some lessons about life that I already had the pleasure of grasping. You will appreciate your age.

Yes, and when you go to law school, you will be surrounded by an astonishing number of 25 yr olds who are incapable of changing their own underwear. Good times.

If your understanding of "lessons about life" comprises of changing underwear then I have proven my point.

In all seriousness, if you do not yet have children, you may not understand the irony of age and wisdom.

[evilxs]

In my 30's and will be starting law school this year. Don't let anything get to you.

I'm going for exactly what I want and I am very confident of my ability to make this worth my while. I know as an older student in my grad program it is felt like those of us in there were just a little more focused. There is something about soul crushing debt on top of your mortgage and family obligations that keeps ya motivated.

I've also got four kids so hey call me crazy!

[Farfan1]

I am 33 and I am just graduating UG this year. I feel like I have a HUGE advantage over my younger classmates in just about everything. They are learning some lessons about life that I already had the pleasure of grasping. You will appreciate your age.

Yes, and when you go to law school, you will be surrounded by an astonishing number of 25 yr olds who are incapable of changing their own underwear. Good times.

Underwear? Only 33 years and up wear underwear

[Farfan1]

In my 30's and will be starting law school this year. Don't let anything get to you.

I'm going for exactly what I want and I am very confident of my ability to make this worth my while. I know as an older student in my grad program it is felt like those of us in there were just a little more focused. There is something about soul crushing debt on top of your mortgage and family obligations that keeps ya motivated.

I've also got four kids so hey call me crazy!

Hey Crazy, you're right...the thought of failing and not applying yourself is horrific if you have kids and a mortgage.

[Sangiovese]

This is really a much discussed topic. No age is too old. If you are 50 and want to be a lawyer, go ahead and do it.

I'm not sure about that. Going to law school at 50 would mean you will graduate when you are 53-55. Who is going to hire and train a 55 year old with no experience?

Someone who graduates at 55 still has 10 years left in the workforce. How long does the typical new associate work for his first big firm? I don't know the answer, but I'm guessing that it is well under the ten years that our hypothetical 55 year-old baby lawyer has remaining in the workforce.

Big firms train all their new hires with the expectation that they will leave at some point. There is no reason to think that a 30 year old new associate will have any more longevity with the firm than a 55 year old new associate.

[r6_philly]

In my 30's and will be starting law school this year. Don't let anything get to you.

I'm going for exactly what I want and I am very confident of my ability to make this worth my while. I know as an older student in my grad program it is felt like those of us in there were just a little more focused. There is something about soul crushing debt on top of your mortgage and family obligations that keeps ya motivated.

I've also got four kids so hey call me crazy!

Love your tar! My desire to be the green thing is what keeps me going! (And the fear of being the other party)

We plan to have 2 more kids before I am done law school, so the pressure to do well is real. It is also a pleasure to have everything else in life pretty situated, less distractions.

[thuggishruggishbone]

Well, how long do you expect to be working as a lawyer? I mean the average length of a biglaw career seems to be about 2 years before they fire you. I wouldn't worry about your age.

[truthypants]

I think it shouldn't be a big factor (age, that is). Really, you're probably just going to need to account for your time--i.e., what took you so long to enroll in law school and what were you doing with yourself in the meantime. If you're 30 something years old and have been hanging out for the past 10 years waiting tables or doing some other bullshit job, that probably looks bad and you might have to explain yourself to the employers (i.e., why couldn't you get a "real" job). I wouldn't sweat it too much--rock the lsat, get into a t-14, and let them place you into your dream job. Like other people said, the average length of a law career isn't that long anyways, so age isn't too much of a factor.

[kaya_belly]

My father was around 50 when he started law school. He never practiced in a big firm, but he had a rewarding and lucrative career until he died at age 66. At his memorial service, several past clients spoke about how grateful they were for his work.

So, no, I definitely don't think that you should be worried about your age. I am 33 with four children; I definitely feel a little "non traditional." However, the reality is that I am much more prepared for law school now than I was 10 years ago, and much more realistic about what it means to make the commitment.

[kn6542]

I am 33 and I am just graduating UG this year. I feel like I have a HUGE advantage over my younger classmates in just about everything. They are learning some lessons about life that I already had the pleasure of grasping. You will appreciate your age.

Yes, and when you go to law school, you will be surrounded by an astonishing number of 25 yr olds who are incapable of changing their own underwear. Good times.

If your understanding of "lessons about life" comprises of changing underwear then I have proven my point.

In all seriousness, if you do not yet have children, you may not understand the irony of age and wisdom.

scientific fact: having children makes you stoopid.

[r6_philly]

scientific fact: having children makes you stoopid.

Good to know, I wrote that down.

[solidsnake]

I'm late twenties, tons of WE between UG and law school, and what is probably the single most insufferable aspect of law school for me is having to sit through a class and listen to a bunch of medianpwned, straight-from-UG 22 year olds share with the world what their idea of "fair" is. These people shouldn't even be allowed to talk.

[Drake014]

This is good to hear. I am targeting this type of caliber of school.

I know that is seems to be a crazy question, but its a huge leap of faith to chase your dream. I am excited about it, but I want to make sure that I am not jumping too blindly into the fray. Ideally, I'd like to do big law. Not for the money, but because I think that I would actually enjoy the pace and the type of environment that it holds.

This certainly helps ease my thoughts as I finish up and head down the path.

Now I am just waiting to start my LSAT test prep.

Thanks again all.

JG

Generally, everyone targets this caliber of school... the T14. Not to be too much of a cynic but is there really anyone who aims for Big Law where the money isn't in the top 3 motivating factors? Otherwise, there are plenty of low paying extremely hard legal jobs out there. You may, of course, have intimate knowledge of Big Law compared to medium sized firms, government positions, and public interest and opted for the former due to your understanding of the subtle nuances that make Big Law more suited for you.... Or, as is usually the case, you heard it pays a shit load and provides hard work and have decided that's for you.

[Rotor]

I'm a 43 year old 1L and the only thing I feel too old for is bar review every week.

I did have concerns about biases from hiring partners, but in conversations with a select few in both Norcal & Socal, they each said that my mid-40 something on graduation wouldn't be a problem. More important will be grades, law review, and all the other things that count regardless of age. Experience was seen as a substantial plus.

That said, that's easy enough to say. I'll let you know after OCIP how it really plays out. Until then, quit wanking about being old & go. If you are just looking for an excuse not to go, don't blame your age.