How old is too old to try to become (possibly) a lawyer?

[Luanne]

All I have education-wise beyond high school is a two-year degree from a community college. I know I can transfer that degree easily to a college here in town and even do my classes for my bachelor's online if necessary (as I am going to have to work at the same time).

 

I also know that one should specialize in an area of law and have no idea which one I would choose or even how to figure that out.

 

Oh ... and I am 45 by the way.

[happygrrl]

My best friend's dh left a low paying blue-collar job in his mid-40's and went back to school ... med. school! His perspective was that he was going to reach 60 no matter what, and at 60 he would either be a doctor or wouldn't be. He went for it, and is one of the happiest people I know. It's all about your passion, not your age. Go for it!

[Brooketopia]

Love it, love it! I finished up my Bacheors degree when my oldest was six months old, and I'm totally planning on going back to school when the wee ones have left the nest. (I'll be late 40's by that point.)

 

I don't know of anything to share with you in regards to BTDT, but I think it can be done! Follow your heart.

[PinkTulip]

I don't think 45 is too old to try to become a lawyer. In my law class, there were several 50+ year-olds who were on their second (or third) career!

 

As far as specializing - don't worry about it. Law school is different than perhaps other graduate schools, as you don't have to "specialize" at all, if you don't want to. Generally, the first year is prescribed - everyone takes the same basic courses like contracts, torts, civil procedure, etc. After that, you can basically take anything you like that sounds interesting. It's actually a good idea to take a wide variety of courses, because you never know what you'll need. So for example, I took courses as various as family law, negotiations, estate planning, constitutional law, business law, and criminal law. If something really resonates with you, there are usually more advanced courses in that general area.

 

I would say go for it! And good luck!

[lollie010]

When I was in lawschool there were a few older students who did very well. They tended to be very focused and had a reason for going to law school. For example, one student had been an investigator for years and another student had a husband that she planned to go to work for upon graduation.

 

I had many talks with a few who felt that they were being unfairly treated in their job search. So it really depends on what your goals are? Your level of commitment? I hope that does not sound discouraging. It can certainly be done, but there will be some limitations. Some areas of law are more forgiving. If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

[newbie]

80

[OrganicAnn]

So you if you go full time it would another 2 years to finish a BA and then 3 years for the law degree. You'd be 50 if you could go full time. If part time maybe 55? Can you go full time? Do you have the funds to pay for it? Do you have the abilities to do well in law school or will it be difficult for you and require longer? (the lawyers I knew had to do a lot of writing. I'm not sure what other skills are needed).

 

What will you do with the degree? Are you wanting to work for a law office? Are there lots of law firms in your area? Do you have a contact with any of them? Do you want to want to wear a suit, work in an office, deal with lots of paper? Or what about the law is drawing you? I knew someone who was getting an accounting degree and planned to go to work in an accounting firm, but hadn't really thought about what it would be like to work in an accounting firm (they didn't like to wear anything but sweats/tennis shoes and cringed at the thought that they would have to wear suits and heels).

Edited April 9, 2010 by OrganicAnn

[Aggie]

All I have education-wise beyond high school is a two-year degree from a community college. I know I can transfer that degree easily to a college here in town and even do my classes for my bachelor's online if necessary (as I am going to have to work at the same time).

 

I also know that one should specialize in an area of law and have no idea which one I would choose or even how to figure that out.

 

Oh ... and I am 45 by the way.

 

Talk to a couple of schools. Some see age as a good thing in that you're mature, have more life experience, etc. :001_smile:

 

There are some post-grad schools that have a limited number of openings and use age to cull prospective students. :(

 

Pursue it! I was applying for law school when dh and I got engaged, so I never went. Can I live vicariously through you? :lol:

[Lara in Colo]

My mother celebrated her 50th birthday at Georgetown law school. Not to be a downer, the only real problem, was people didn't want to hire an older person (of course she's also psycho-so maybe they were just smart!!).

 

 

Lara

[RoughCollie]

I would not advise anyone to go to law school for the simple reason that the profession is terribly overcrowded. It has been so for decades.

 

Add your age to that, and unfortunately, you will probably never find a job. Age discrimination is alive and well in the legal field, something I have always thought is counter-intuitive. You can be in your 30s and battle age bias when looking for your first job in the field of law.

 

Law schools have a vested interest in encouraging students to become lawyers. That is how they stay in business. I would immediately suspect anyone from a law school who tells you there are plenty of jobs available and one's age does not play a huge part in finding a job.

 

One does not specialize in a particular area of law in school, except that when you get to the last two years, you will have more room in your schedule to take electives.

 

If you are able to get a job, you will specialize in whatever the firm needs. Depending on the state you are in, you cannot officially specialize anyway, except in tax law and patent law.

 

Before you can practice patent law, for example, you must pass the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

Considering the opportunity cost of going to law school, the possibility of having to pay back hefty student loans, the huge amount of effort involved, and the high risk of remaining unemployed afterward, I don't think going to law school is a good idea.

 

My best advice to you is to choose a field in which there is a large shortage of workers. That will greatly enhance your ability to find a job after you complete your education.

Edited April 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Cammie]

I would not advise anyone to go to law school for the simple reason that the profession is terribly overcrowded. It has been so for decades.

 

Add your age to that, and unfortunately, you will may never find a job. Age discrimination is alive and well in the legal field, something I have always thought is counter-intuitive. You can be in your 30s and battle age bias when looking for your first job in the field of law.

 

Law schools have a vested interest in encouraging students to become lawyers. That is how they stay in business. I would immediately suspect anyone from a law school who tells you there are plenty of jobs available and one's age does not play a huge part in finding a job.

 

One does not specialize in a particular area of law in school, except that when you get to the last two years, you will have more room in your schedule to take electives.

 

If you are able to get a job, you will specialize in whatever the firm needs. Depending on the state you are in, you cannot officially specialize anyway, except in tax law and patent law.

 

Before you can practice patent law, for example, you must pass the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

Considering the opportunity cost of going to law school, the possibility of having to pay back hefty student loans, the huge amount of effort involved, and the high risk of remaining unemployed afterward, I don't think going to law school is a good idea.

 

My best advice to you is to choose a field in which there is a large shortage of workers. That will greatly enhance your ability to find a job after you complete your education.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

 

One thing I would add - look very carefully at the law school you go to. Mine did offer a part time program and as a result it had many more older students and people entering their second (and third) careers. Age would not be a problem in school but I agree it could be a hurdle when job hunting. If you plan to go out on your own, or do public interest work you might not have a problem. However, private firms might be very difficult to break into.

 

Also, think about the debt...and think about it again. I had scholarships, great scholarships, but I still have so much debt I will be paying it off until I die! Is it really worth it to you to incur that much debt at this point in your life?

 

Is your interest in studying the law? The challenge of law school? Or becoming a lawyer? Perhaps there are other ways to fulfill those interests.

 

Good luck!

[RoughCollie]

If you plan to go out on your own, or do public interest work you might not have a problem.

 

About 20 years ago, an article in the ABA Journal stated that it takes about eight years to establish a solo law practice, so that is not a viable solution for someone who will be 50 years old when they begin the practice of law. The situation has not improved over the years.

 

There are two main problems: (1) it is difficult to get clients who can afford to pay the legal fees and expenses, and (2) there are too many lawyers who are trying to get clients who can and will pay their legal bills.

 

Taking cases on a contingency basis is only worthwhile if the plaintiff has a big chance of winning, the lawyer's share of the amount awarded is sufficient to cover the legal fees and expenses, the case is not so complex and expensive to handle that a sole practitioner can take it, and the case is not appealed.

 

One never knows what a jury will do or what an appellate court will decide. Meanwhile, the expenses of the law practice have to be paid out of sporadic income. If your client does not pay the entire fee and expenses at the beginning of the case (this is put into a trust account unless it is nonrefundable), good luck getting it later.

 

To set up an office, you will need to pay a security deposit and buy office furniture, stationery, computer, high speed printer, ample file space, telephone system, cell phone, and perhaps a conference table and chairs. Monthly expenses include rent, utilities, telephone, internet, professional dues and subscriptions, LexisNexis and client expenses that have to be paid prior to potential reimbursement. You must drive a decent-looking car and dress well. Image is important.

 

One major problem with public interest work is that it pays poorly. Another is that big firms will send their associates into those organizations (especially district attorneys offices) so they get trial experience. The big firms pay the associates when they do this, and the D.A. does not have to hire lawyers who are looking for jobs.

 

You could find out whether, as a newly minted lawyer, you can take indigent criminal cases and be paid by your state or the federal government for your work. In most states, the system for handling these cases is woefully inadequate and the pay is very low.

 

The other problem is that your typical client will be a drug addicted sociopath whose intelligence level is below average. He will frequently think that he and his jailhouse pals know more about the law than you do. He will insist that he is factually innocent, even though you have the videotapes and audiotapes (courtesy of the DEA or FBI) which prove that he is guilty beyond any doubt. One thing you can count on is that, with extremely few exceptions, your clients will lie to you - yes, even though you are trying to help them get a fair trial, and/or get drug or psychiatric treatment, or to get a job. The majority of these clients will do a life sentence on the installment plan.

 

Once in a very great while you will have a client whom you think just may be innocent, but there is no way to be sure, sometimes due to sloppy police investigations and other times due to co-defendants, witnesses, and police officers who lie on the stand. You will also learn fairly quickly that the power of the government is much stronger than that of a lawyer and his client. Your illusions about justice and fairness will fall by the wayside.

 

We had a client that we were pretty darned sure was innocent of murder. He received a life sentence. A couple of years later, new evidence proved that he was guilty. So, you never can tell.

 

You will have to think about self-protection and the protection of your family because you will be threatened. Some of the cases may be repugnant to you, but if you are ethical, you will take them anyway and most people who are not attorneys will not understand how you could do so.

Edited April 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[fivetails]

My best friend's dh left a low paying blue-collar job in his mid-40's and went back to school ... med. school! His perspective was that he was going to reach 60 no matter what, and at 60 he would either be a doctor or wouldn't be. He went for it, and is one of the happiest people I know. It's all about your passion, not your age. Go for it!

 

:iagree:

 

You only live once. If this is your dream, get out there & catch it. :D

[RoughCollie]

The problem with this dream is that the odds are very small that it can be caught.

 

It is not smart, IMO, to chase after a dream that has high cost and a low chance of success, unless you are not concerned about finances and have great connections.

 

If you want to become a financially successful, published author, you chase the dream in your spare time at very little cost except for time. The cost is low, as is your chance of success. Go for it!

 

If you want to become a medical doctor, the cost is high, and so is your chance of success. Go for it!

 

If you want to become a lawyer, the cost is high and the chance of success, especially for someone who will be 50 years old at the beginning of her career, is quite low. Avoid it!

 

This is the advice I have given to my children and I am an attorney. I know what I'm talking about. I wish someone had told me these things (and there are a lot more negatives that I did not talk about); I would not have become an attorney. I was absolutely astonished, a couple of decades ago, to discover that the practice of law was not the noble profession I had thought it to be. Of course, there are plenty of honest, ethical attorneys -- the problems are systemic.

Edited April 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Jan in SC]

What about becoming a paralegal? There are tons of jobs opportunities in varied fields. You are working in the legal profession, without 30 years of student loans.

[Mary in VA]

Have you thought about studying to be a paralegal?

 

I'm a currently a non-practicing attorney, and while I'm very glad I went to law school (right out of college), I can honestly say that it is not all it appears to be from the outside looking in. Not to be a downer, but if I were looking at going to law school at 45 (I'm 51 by the way) I wouldn't do it unless money was no object. The costs of law school are astronomical now. I was able to graduate with only $11,000 in debt, but that's 27 years ago! I can't even begin to imagine the debt most law school graduates have today!!! You really wouldn't want to be saddled with that debt going into your senior years. Also, to succeed in private practice, solo or with a firm, you have to be able to put in phenomenal billable hours. Which is probably one of the big reasons for age discrimination in hiring. The amount of debt from law school could also preclude you going into public interest law or civil service-the salary wouldn't be enough to make your loan payments.

 

Really examine why you are drawn to being a lawyer. Is the attraction something that could be met by working in law in ways other than being a lawyer? Paralegal, court administrative staff, etc. Many of these could be interesting and challenging without downsides of getting a law degree.

 

HTH,

Mary

[RoughCollie]

The concern I would have is that with such an abundance of attorneys, will they be taking the paralegal jobs? Some already have, and they have a distinct advantage. It could get worse, especially in this economic climate that shows no signs of improvement.

 

At any rate, check out the job market for paralegals in your area. Do not ask the schools that train paralegals -- they have a vested interest in telling you what you want to hear.

Edited April 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Joanne]

Dead is too old.

 

I'll be 44 next week and am just now working on a professional designation. I have another year.....possibly year and semester to go.

[plansrme]

I don't have much to add except that law school is probably not worth incurring a lot of debt over. Graduates in the top of their classes at the top law schools can now get $100K starting salaries at big firms, but it takes satisfying both of these criteria: good law school, high class rank.

Everyone else will have the experiences cited above and find themselves scrambling to repay their loans on a salary roughly equivalent to that which a good legal secretary can make. A younger lawyer has time to move up the ladder at a smaller firm and eventually come out ahead. A new 50-year old lawyer has to spend just as much money to get a degree but has only half as much career (or less) to make it up.

 

I would go so far as to say that as far as being a good investment (i.e., purely from a financial perspective), when you consider the outright cost and the opportunity cost, a night school or third-tier school is, in 98% of the cases, pretty near worthless at any age.

 

Terri

[Desert Rat]

You're never too old, Luanne! Go for it! I would see if you can talk to a few attorneys in your area and decide what type of law interests you most. There are many different specialities. I was always interested in probate myself. I worked for the court system here in Las Vegas for several years before kids. I loved, loved, loved reading Howard Hughes's probate file. So interesting! (He had lots of people claim to be relatives with wills-including some on napkins and envelopes!)

I enjoyed my job in the court system. It was clerical but I learned a lot that way. Maybe the county/city in your area has a job opportunity for you. You'd need typing probably, but you're on these boards almost as much as I am so I'm sure you can type!

Good luck to you!

[Gratia271]

Three of my best friends in law school were over 40 when they began. They did exceedingly well, and all of them had outstanding job offers.

[Retired]

My mother celebrated her 50th birthday at Georgetown law school. Not to be a downer, the only real problem, was people didn't want to hire an older person (of course she's also psycho-so maybe they were just smart!!).

 

 

Lara

 

:lol:

[wapiti]

I don't have much to add except that law school is probably not worth incurring a lot of debt over. Graduates in the top of their classes at the top law schools can now get $100K starting salaries at big firms, but it takes satisfying both of these criteria: good law school, high class rank.

Everyone else will have the experiences cited above and find themselves scrambling to repay their loans on a salary roughly equivalent to that which a good legal secretary can make. A younger lawyer has time to move up the ladder at a smaller firm and eventually come out ahead. A new 50-year old lawyer has to spend just as much money to get a degree but has only half as much career (or less) to make it up.

 

I would go so far as to say that as far as being a good investment (i.e., purely from a financial perspective), when you consider the outright cost and the opportunity cost, a night school or third-tier school is, in 98% of the cases, pretty near worthless at any age.

 

Terri

:iagree: I haven't read this whole thread, but this is important to understand. My advice is to consider it only if you get into a really good school (are any top-20 schools nearby? do you have the ability to move? important things to consider).