Question for the OT Lawyers - School Later in Life

Better than doing it in your 40's. You'll never be as young as you are right now.

Not me but there were many in class with me. Worth it for them, as they were stalled in their present careers. A lot of people will tell you not to go to law school now due to the job market, but if it is your passion and you are a hard worker, you will be fine. If you are just bored and want to try something different, then law school is a huge risk. I definitely would not take on significant debt to go to law school in my 30s. You should look at schools with night programs, like Loyola NO. In a night program most of your class will be older students.

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Did any of our fine attorneys here begin law school in their 30’s?

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I did.

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Looking back was it worth it?

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Yes.

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Would you do it again?

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No.

law school is a bad choice no matter what age you are

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Did any of our fine attorneys here begin law school in their 30’s? Or know anyone that did?

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I started when I was 30 in 2000. Totally worth it (1) for me and (2) at that particular time and place, but I offer these caveats:

1. My 2L summer was the last before the bubble. We had 22 summer associates that year, 11 got offers, seven accepted (including me), and six started together with one taking a year clerkship first. The next year, the summer class was less than half that, and I think only 1 got an offer.

2. I went to a private school, which together with my age differentiated me from the other local grads looking for jobs in the area. In general, the legal job market has changed dramatically since I graduated.

3. Beyond the job market, the legal industry has changed a lot and will continue to evolve. Some % of lawyers TBD will be replaced to an extent by algorithms and outsourcing.

4. Loans will be with you forever unless someone else pays your way or pays it off afterward. Rare is the first-year associate who makes enough money and keeps a managable lifestyle to pay them off. Few get jobs like that in the first place, but they all have the debt regardless of their salaries.

5. My first year I met several 2Ls and up who "didn't want to be a lawyer" and weren't sure what they were going to do when they graduated. If you not sure, don't do it.

i graduated law school at 37. i was a cpa with great track record and grades at the top 1/3 of my class in the early 90's. i worked for a small firm for 2 years and ended up solo since then. i wouldn't change anything except my work ethic.

I went to Law School at 22, and a guy who was in LSU ROTC with my dad in the mid-1960s was in my section. He had recently retired from the Army. He managed to finish, and to pass the Bar, but I don't think he practised long. He is the headmaster of some private school these days.

So, it can be done, I just wonder if the profession is something that you want to start later in life. There is much dissatisfaction, and it can be tough to earn a living, and pretty stressful. If you have a family member in a firm that can provide a job, that is always helpful.

<<<< started after 30.

Was worth it. Good to have some "real world" and "real life" experience under your belt. Plus, you are less likely to do stupid shite and frick yourself by dicking around.

I am in law school now, and I can't imagine going back more than a couple of years after undergrad. Trying to go from not studying academically, to studying as much as you do in law school would be extremely challenging for me. That's just me personally, though.

So, I certainly would not discourage it, because it is different for everyone.

Is there a law school near you that offers night classes?

I went to Southern, in the night program. It takes 4 years rather than 3, but I worked 50+ hours a week throughout school and it was never a problem. Most people in my program were pushing 40, though I don't know an official average age. I was definitely the youngest at 22. I had classmates that drove in from Lafayette, New Orleans, and McComb, MS every night after work (those 3 passed the bar the first time). I know Southern has a deplorable reputation but the night school is the cheapest route to a JD, between low tuition & keeping opportunity costs down by working. Go for it if you have a plan.

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(good lawyers can easily make 30k-60k per month take home). But usually that means starting your own firm and working for yourself.

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The only way to do that - in your own firm - is to have an injury practice with very good paralegals and a big ad budget.