Hey everybody,
Since many people have been clamoring for this I thought I'd start a new thread for the older and non-traditional future lawyers among us. Feel free to ask any questions you may have or share any stories or ideas you think would be beneficial to the non-trad community here. I'll bump this thread as needed for awhile to keep things going if people are lurking more than posting.
All that being said, don't despair old people! This is not business school so you are not getting dinged for your age around here. I know we are getting late in the app season but if anyone has questions for applying as an older candidate then bring them on and myself and other old timers will do our best to assist you!
Also feel free to talk about any other old people stuff you want (e.g.- marriage, kids, finding a reliable babysitter, etc.) and most of all have fun!
164 comments
37 this month. Parent. In at 2 schools (one with a full ride) and 4 more apps pending. It's no longer a matter of IF I'll go Fall 2020, but Where.
I’ve heard that karma on 7sage is a new soft that you can discuss on your PS. :)
I'm just hoping they like adorable babies because I'm about to strap my 4 month old to my chest and roll up there for a visit :)
Hey what the hell, I'll be 30 in less than 6 months—this is exclusionary! ;)
I'll have to find the link on my computer later tonight for you, but there is a great lazy person's guide to law school on TLS that essentially treats it as a 9-5 job (and isn't even that lazy TBH) and is what I plan on implementing because unless I sneak into Duke and can keep my family together I'll be playing single dad to my two sons (4 and 20 months) so I don't foresee work being done at night haha.
Hi Folks,
It's been a while and I missed the 7sage community.
I am finishing up my 2L and so far it's been an incredible ride and I have loved every minute of it. I think if you still want to go to law school at this age (I was 35+ when I started), it IS something you are meant to do and you will not regret it!
I have made friends at school and in general law school is very supportive -- but you have to reach out. (If possible, I suggest you pay a school visit before deciding which school you want to attend. ) The best part about being older is that I have a different perspective and I don't get stressed out like those younger kids, which has made law school much more enjoyable.
Gonna have my 4-year old twins sit in on a Torts class , during my visit, and see what happens.
@msirchia692 Hi there, and welcome back!! :) Thanks so much for stopping by. I'm 34 and just went through the application gauntlet, but decided to push back a year and reapply. It's really encouraging to hear from you!
That's one of my concerns going into school, the social/community aspect. I don't know if I'll be the sole old woman that the whippersnappers think is boring haha. Good to hear that it's been a positive experience for you though!
What did you do for your 1L summer? Have you seen any differences in how employers view you vs the youngsters? Any challenges there? What are your goals/plans for post-school?
I could probably pick your brain forever haha. I'll leave it at that. :) Thanks for stopping in!
Thank you for posting this. I am in! Here is one thing that has been on my mind all this time: I cannot, will not, shall not, (am unable to) pull an all-nighter in law school. Will I survive? (I cringe at hearing friends at HLS sleeping only four hours a day. )
Thanks for bumping this thread. I was actually talking to a law school rep at a forum today about crafting a diversity statement based on age and experience. Some schools may laugh that out of the room, but she said they'd welcome it.
Turning 30 next spring, and in at dream school! Trying to be patient waiting for other schools and merit aid decisions.
Its been way too long since this thread popped up. I was doing some soul searching today and had a funny thought about age and perspective. I have two serious volunteer gigs, one at a local legal clinic and the other as a mentor in a veteran's treatment court. At the legal clinic, I feel pretty darn old when all the law students are around, as they all appear to be in their mid-late 20's. However, when I'm at my mentor meetings with the veteran's treatment court, I'm the only one who did not serve in Vietnam and feel like a baby. Moral of the story: Age is a relative thing, depending on which room you are sitting in.
Oh @davidbusis895, just a note because there always is a significant number of us old folks on 7sage, the Admissions course is awesome and I love it, but I often wondered how being an older, non-traditional student factored in to some of the lessons. Like, some people say that if you are a 30+ year old student, your PS should answer the "why law, and why now" questions. Do you have an opinion on that?
Ha @adorsen00673, add 10 more to your age, so...yeah. :smiley:
I'll officially be allowed in this thread in 15 days, y'all!
@974
This is brilliant. I am also looking for 0L readings. Have you guys come across anything good?
@ioana200
Logic games were not my strong suit to begin with (even though I'm a physics major) but I got better after tons of practices. After 7 months of prep, I started to live my life in 35-minute segments. I felt empty after my last LSAT... I have not been to a law school yet but have been though a lawsuit myself. I honestly could not see any connections between LSAT questions and a litigation. However, these days I argue less with my husband - most of the time his argument is so flawed that it makes me laugh. I guess that is also the bright side of taking LSAT?
Half my DS was about being a parent. I've wanted to be a father since I was about 12 years old which makes me somewhat of an outlier since most men don't really have that as a life goal starting in childhood. I really wanted to emphasize that point in my DS but was advised not to by my consultant because they knew of multiple admissions people who were unable to have children so it might not have come off so well if my DS ended up in their hands. So I left that aspect out but was still able to talk about how it allows me to bring a different perspective to school and the community.
Furthermore, it also shows that you not only have a great motive to excel, but also that you are someone that they can rely on to show up and work hard rather than showing up drunk to class or the like. I think this last point is somewhat underrated because there are some schools that have really been burned by students getting DUIs and the like and are very wary of anyone with related C&F issues because of it.
I would definitely recommend talking about being a parent in a DS and then find something totally different to talk about in your PS. You want your application to be internally consistent and essentially follow a consistent narrative (e.g.- hardworking mother of two that has done X, Y, and Z). That being said I would recommend trying to avoid being redundant when the school doesn't force you to as is the case with the employment section (fill it out!) and your resume.
To further illustrate what I mean by that, I just got out of the Army after ~6.5 years and most military applicants submit apps that are 100% military front to back. This gets super redundant and boring and makes them very one-dimensional. So I let my resume do the talking for my military career and made my DS and PS about totally different things so they could see a more well-rounded individual. Veteran status is a great soft to set me apart from the crowd, and then not beating them over the head with it and showcasing other aspects of my life further allows me to set myself apart from the veteran crowd.
Personally I only have one rule for writing a PS: don't be boring! If you're struggling to think of a topic for your PS my advice is to think of your favorite 5-10 stories from your life and whittle those down to the ones that 1) are not boring, 2) reveal something about you as a person (e.g.- hard work ethic, perseverance, ingenuity, etc.), 3) you can write about in two pages. Don't worry about it even having the word law in it. Just find an entertaining story to tell that can make someone laugh or perhaps teach them something they wouldn't know. Any way that you can grab someone's attention and engage them is a great place to start.
Will be 30 in February. Mom to a 2 year old. Applying this cycle, but unfortunately missed the mark on the September LSAT and need to take for the third time in November. First time was 2017, a few months after my son was born. Took my diagnostic on my due date, and had to pump in the break between sections on test day. Because if you’re not insane, do you even belong in law school?
Anyways, happy to find a thread with my people. And happy to *almost* be done with the LSAT and apps.
37 in December. Looking to be finished with JD by the time I'm 45. Will be going part time while continuing to work. It leaves me 20 years to work. Ultimate goal...be debt free by the time I'm out....
Hi. I am 35. I am currently in a masters of social work program. I took the LSAT 10 years ago and didnt go because I score low. I didnt have much support or guidance, so I came at the test and admissions process very unprepared. Well I started dating a lawyer from a family of lawyers and now here I am. Taking the test in November. I decided last minute and I am also doing graduate work so I am really cramming. I have a 3.66 GPA which I am hoping will aid me in admissions. I think this time will be a little easier. I am more mature and financially stable enough to make the move.
Happy to be here. No matter what happens I like that I am challenging myself.
> @lizpil252 said:
> 31 year old here. I work for a law firm who are generous enough to put up tuition for me, I would be a fool to not take the opportunity! Never thought of myself as an old timer, I prefer to think I'm just very wise.
Wow!!! Congrats! That is a dream scenario. I'm 32 and work at a law firm as a paralegal. I absolutely love my job but I'm excited to continue along this career path. The law firm I work for is definitely not offering anything other than kudos and letters of recommendation (which I still greatly appreciate), so good on you not taking such a great opportunity for granted :) Taking the LSAT in January and *hoping* to get in somewhere fall 2020, but plan to reapply the following cycle if needed.
31 year old here. I work for a law firm who are generous enough to put up tuition for me, I would be a fool to not take the opportunity! Never thought of myself as an old timer, I prefer to think I'm just very wise.
34 next week, one masters (architecture), one dog, no kids. I have crazy respect for those applying as parents! My mom went to med school in her 40s and is still going strong 20 years later.
My partner is currently a 2L and turns 30 in December. Granted that she had just transferred into a t14 and is closer to the median age, she absolutely killed it during OCI. Having real work/real world experience and understanding things such as how to write a professional email, manage clients, dress for an interview (I heard horror stories), etc. was a huge benefit.
An attorney I spoke to earlier this year, when I was deciding whether to pursue law, shared a similar sentiment. He said age was not really an issue, and laughed at the notion that firms would be attracted to younger students that could work longer hours ("besides, if that were the case, would you really want to work there?") He was also more interested in someone who could work in a professional capacity than a star student, within reason (i.e., not at the bottom of your class).
Another thing to point out, or at least what I tell myself, is that if you're 30+ and take the time to study for the LSAT and apply to law school, YOU REALLY WANT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL. Compared to a younger person who is just trying to "figure it out," you're much less of a liability.
31 years old and will very soon be a father. Finishing up my applications this month to being law school in fall of 2020. Any other parents up in here?
Felt like this thread needed resurrecting as we're coming up on the new cycle. Where all my old folks at? Check in here!