Am I too old for law school?

You are never too old for college.

Am I too old for law school, graduate school, or medical school?  You may be asking yourself that right now as you are considering starting law school next fall.  What age is too old to go back to school or to start college?  My wife and I were talking about this the other day, as her sister has always wanted to go to college but has yet to finish a degree.  She is 31 now and would be around 35 when she graduated from college, if she enrolled now.  It's actually quite interesting that she has always wanted to be a lawyer.  She and her sister would watch Perry Mason with her father as they were growing up.  If she was to start college now and then go to law school, she would be near 40 years old when she graduated from law school.  Is that too old?  No, it is not.

There is no age limit to accomplishing your dreams.  Many people look at law school as purely an economic decision.  As an economics major, I understand the importance of considering the economic realities of law school.  It is very expensive.  However, there are many factors to put into one's decision to go to school.  Law school benefits a person in many ways, not all of which are monetary.  Law school helps one develop their mind in ways that no other type of school does.  That does not mean law school is superior to graduate or medical school.  It's just different. 

There are many ways to go about doing something.  We are, sadly, taught that one has to live their life a certain way.  Some people can not fathom going through life in a way other than the normal popularly viewed way.  Why can a person not start college when they are much older, say in their 60s 70s, or even 80s?  If that would bring a person happiness, it is a great idea to go to school.  There is never an age that is too old to start school.

Many people say that it is foolish to go to school at a late age.  Why is that?  Sure, college is expensive, but the reality is that if it brings you happiness and you die without paying your loans, does it matter?  I am not advocating going to school without planning on paying your loans back.  However, a person is free to take advantage of programs that offer loan forgiveness, such as public interest loan forgiveness and IBR, a wonderful program which erases your debt after 30 years (and sooner if you started school more recent).   

I would tell a person who wanted to start law school late in life to go for it.  The only thing that is holding you back is yourself.  I see older people in my law classes all the time.  Do I think that they will not succeed?  Of course not.  I think anyone can succeed at law school as long as they are positive thinking individuals.  I have realized beyond a doubt that those people who are negative all the time will always fail.  That's just a law of nature.  If you don't expect to succeed, you will not, pure and simple.  Those who I see that fail over and over again in life are those who tell themselves that they will fail.  The person who goes to school late in life is often the type of person who does not let external factors hold them back.  They are often the type of person who has succeeded and knows what they want out of life.  They are the type of person who goes for it.  That is the type of person I see myself as.  I will not let what others say hold me back.  If I want to do something, I do it -- no questions asked.

Am I too old for law school?  Of course not.  I am older than many people in my class.  I waited a few years in between undergrad and law school.  I worked for a while.  I also spent a great deal of time traveling.  If I could do it over again, maybe I would have went a couple years earlier.   Then again, I enjoyed spending my youth visiting Ireland, Thailand, London, Paris, the Yucatan, Singapore, Venice, Vancouver, etc., etc.  I learned a lot about who I was and what I wanted to be in those years.  Sometimes it's not a good idea to just rush into something.  I used to think I would want the "big law firm lifestyle."  Now I know I do not.  I would not want to work 70 hours a week to live in the "rat race."  I know that's what a lot of people want, but that's not the quality of life that I crave.  I crave something that is more enjoyable.  I value my time.  I value the idea of creating my own life.  I don't want to be in an office every day from dawn till midnight.  That's not a life.  There's no amount of money that would make such a life worth it.  I am not the kind of person who has the need to show off wealth.  I prefer a balance in all things.  Time spent with my wife, writing, and traveling are all very important to me.  These are my passions.  Big law would take those away from me.  I am glad I realized that before entering that type of life.  In short, waiting a few years to start school was great for me.  As an older student, you will better know what you want to do.

One person had the following to say about going to law school as an older individual:

I entered law school at age 53 to begin a 3rd career. As the oldest student at our law school, I found the professors extremely welcoming and helpful, and the coursework very relevant. I got along well with almost all of my classmates, partly because I wasn't all that wrapped up with my class rank and backstabbing others to attain a higher ranking. I was sought out to participate in numerous study groups and I made it an intentional decision to become actively involved with student activities and organizations.

The age-driven short-term memory loss, which became a real challenge for the course exams and the bar exam (especially with regards to remembering the names of parties in the caselaw we studied), was offset by the life-experience I had, which made the understanding of the legal concepts much easier.

After graduating at age 56, I opened my own solo practice right away and thoroughly enjoy being my own boss. I believe that many clients likely trust someone who looks older and wiser than someone much younger who still appears "wet behind the ears." My practice started out as a general practice, but has grown to focus primarily in the area of Employment & Labor Law and Education/School Law. I'm approaching the point where my case load is almost getting too large for a solo practitioner. I'm still learning something every day, and that keeps me getting out of bed each morning.

If a person desires to pursue a law degree as a second, or even third career, I say, "GO FOR IT!" You don't ever want to live out the rest of your life regretting not doing something, or even wondering what could have happened.

In short, if you are thinking about graduate school, law school, or medical school and you are older, you have nothing to lose by going.  Changing your life at an older age is something that I highly recommend.  You will probably find that the idea of changing what you spend time doing is exciting.  In fact, I would say that going to school gives the older individual a fresh perspective on life.  I have met too many older people who are set in their ways and need to get out of their comfort zone.  People should spend their time growing and progressing.  You may want to go merely so you can say you did.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Do not let others hold you back.  You are in charge of your life.  Nobody else is.  Those who let others live their lives are often miserable and resentful.  Do that which makes you happy.  Successful people are those who make opportunities for themselves, despite the odds, and despite what others say.   You only live once - go for your dreams - make the most out of your life!

Law school is a professional school that has no limit. Most law students are in their 30s and 40s anyway. The kids fresh out of college are actually the minority and life/work experience outweighs anything else. I too, had feelings about entering as a 1L at 30 years old, especially when some of my friends are practicing attorneys, some for a few years now. But guess what? I'm over it! Live YOUR life, not anyone else's.

Are you considering law school at an older age? The following book may help you decide to live your dreams: