Law School at 40?

[Anonymous]

You have high enough IQ and EQ and discipline to be hired and promoted (or entrepreneurly successful) as highly successful lawyer, but for some reason weren't able to parlay those talents into a highly paying position in your first 20 years of career.

Donut have a theory for how will law school change your fortune?

You'll be an inexperienced lawyer at 45, looking to grow and then be near retirement age when you become a highly experienced lawyer.

Unless you intend to specialize in law for your current career field, so your existing experience gives you an advantage (which could be an excellent play), or you have a nepotistic or personal network advantage of joining your husband's or friend's firm, it doesn't seem likely that this will go the way you hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you looking at a top tier law school? How much will it cost and how much do you make now? From a financial perspective this does not seem to make sense. Also, while you may be able to obtain that type of job eventually, new associates need to put in a lot of work to prove themselves in the beginning. And you will be a 43 year old competing with 25 year olds?

Yes, have done the math. Of course I will be competing with the 25 year olds but he thinks that will be an advantage in a way. So many of the babies they interview just lack basic work skills. So many of the K to JDs need training in work culture and how to practice, whereas I’d only need the latter. Also, I’ve paid my “child bearing years” tax, which while unfortunate, would be an advantage for me over a 25yo female. ☹️

Yes, but you will still have kids they will be in ES or MS. There is really not a hands off period of parenting with children. Some children are easy and do well and then have a major mental health issue at the end of HS or in college. Other kids are bullied or have mental health or learning struggles in MS or throughout. Being a 43 year old with an 8 and 10 year old (guessing at ages) doesn’t mean that you won’t struggle to find balance, especially early in your law career. The 25 year olds also might not want kids. Most late 20s women who I work with either tell me they don’t want kids or that they want to have one child when they are like 42…you’ll be 60 and ramping down yourself when those women are having their only.

I my concern would be the cost (opportunity cost from not working and the cost of a top tier law school). I would also try to get a sense of the area you want to practice in, the types of roles available, the salaries attached to those roles, and what you will need to do to get that type of role (law school grades and activities as well as summer associate roles and the types of early law career roles you would need). Given current constraints, will it be worth it to put yourself through the gauntlet you will need to go through over the next 6-8 years, to get to where you want to go?

Law school is a big investment of time and money, and MBAs generally have better returns. Would you consider a different degree that might provide more flexibility in a recession type environment? Also, AI is going to change law in the next decade. Could you practice area of interest be jeopardized by that?

[Anonymous]

Step One is getting through law school. Assuming you go full time, expect to having to put in a solid 10-12 hours a day for the next three years. Then you have to study for the bar exam. Then you have to get hired, and unless you are willing to start at a lower salary “flexibility” and being a junior lawyer don’t mix.

You are at least a half a dozen years away from what you after, at which point you will be much closer to 50 than 40.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have high enough IQ and EQ and discipline to be hired and promoted (or entrepreneurly successful) as highly successful lawyer, but for some reason weren't able to parlay those talents into a highly paying position in your first 20 years of career.

Donut have a theory for how will law school change your fortune?

You'll be an inexperienced lawyer at 45, looking to grow and then be near retirement age when you become a highly experienced lawyer.

Unless you intend to specialize in law for your current career field, so your existing experience gives you an advantage (which could be an excellent play), or you have a nepotistic or personal network advantage of joining your husband's or friend's firm, it doesn't seem likely that this will go the way you hope.

Agree with all of the above. But you are not making a lot of money so you are not finance, so throw out M&A type stuff (also horrible hours and lots of stress, so not what you would look for). There may be a good play if you are in HR or education and want to go into labor law or a niche education area though. Environment would be dicey given the incoming administration.

[Anonymous]

I went to law school with a young grandma. She was maybe 50. Part of her divorce settlement included stipulating that her ex would pay for law school. She went on to work for 15 years at a nonprofit in a legal capacity. I got the sense that she did it because she loved the law, and it was something she always wanted to do but couldn't because she started having kids young and was a SAHM. So, if your motivations are similar, I say go for it. If you want to make more money, it's probably a bad idea. Legal careers, especially in the beginning, are such a grind. I'm finally in a good place in small law, but I put in time to get here.

[Anonymous]

We had quite a few people over 40 at Georgetown because of the part-time program. (It was a lot of feds who worked at DOJ, State, PTO, and interestingly several NASA folks.) From those I know, they all landed where they wanted and seemed to enjoy their experience.

I went to law school after working a few years. It was tough but not as draining as it’s made out to be. You may be a better student later in life anyway; it was the 23 year olds who had never had a job who were always melting down about school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you looking at a top tier law school? How much will it cost and how much do you make now? From a financial perspective this does not seem to make sense. Also, while you may be able to obtain that type of job eventually, new associates need to put in a lot of work to prove themselves in the beginning. And you will be a 43 year old competing with 25 year olds?

Yes, have done the math. Of course I will be competing with the 25 year olds but he thinks that will be an advantage in a way. So many of the babies they interview just lack basic work skills. So many of the K to JDs need training in work culture and how to practice, whereas I’d only need the latter. Also, I’ve paid my “child bearing years” tax, which while unfortunate, would be an advantage for me over a 25yo female. ☹️

It’s not an advantage. In any “way.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering law school at 40. I’ve done the math and financially would be better off than staying in my current job, even with the 3-year earning gap.

Kids are in elementary school, and my partner is a partner at a medium size boutique. He seems to think I would be able to find a similar firm where I could WFH a few days a week, work 1-2 nights a week and a weekend a month…which is what he does. Does he just have a really good set up or is this for real?

It sounds like your plan is based on you getting a BigLaw or adjacent job with WFH flexibility (what you're describing is till 60+ hours of mentally taxing substantive work though).

What is the plan if you don't get that? Does the math still work if you can only get a 60k public interest job with long hours in office? A high LSAT isn't going to guarantee BigLaw... there's also grades and Law Review.

I'm curious what you do now. I'm not saying it's not worth it, but it's not clear what we're comparing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Step One is getting through law school. Assuming you go full time, expect to having to put in a solid 10-12 hours a day for the next three years. Then you have to study for the bar exam. Then you have to get hired, and unless you are willing to start at a lower salary “flexibility” and being a junior lawyer don’t mix.

You are at least a half a dozen years away from what you after, at which point you will be much closer to 50 than 40.

What? No. Ugh, I hate it when people who are clearly not lawyers play them on DCUM.

I went to a first-tier law school and graduated top 15% of my class and I treated it like a full-time job, spending about 8-9 hours a day at school, attending class and studying in the library. I spent a few hours (or more if I had a paper due or something) on Saturday studying, but took every Sunday completely off. Law Review work or Moot Court Board (which you have to do, OP, if given the opportunity) can add hours, but you get credit hours for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Step One is getting through law school. Assuming you go full time, expect to having to put in a solid 10-12 hours a day for the next three years. Then you have to study for the bar exam. Then you have to get hired, and unless you are willing to start at a lower salary “flexibility” and being a junior lawyer don’t mix.

You are at least a half a dozen years away from what you after, at which point you will be much closer to 50 than 40.

What? No. Ugh, I hate it when people who are clearly not lawyers play them on DCUM.

I went to a first-tier law school and graduated top 15% of my class and I treated it like a full-time job, spending about 8-9 hours a day at school, attending class and studying in the library. I spent a few hours (or more if I had a paper due or something) on Saturday studying, but took every Sunday completely off. Law Review work or Moot Court Board (which you have to do, OP, if given the opportunity) can add hours, but you get credit hours for it.

This poster is right about the second part though. You don't get flexibility once at a law firm until way down the line, and even then, it's "flexibility". You have to be reachable to put out fires late at night, during weekends...

[Anonymous]

Would really love to know your gpa and LSAT. We need to start there to evaluate how delusional you are.

[Anonymous]

I’m a compliance manager (2 steps below c-suite) at a large corporation. I’m expecting layoffs at my company and am taking this as a chance to think about what I really want to do. So I’m weighing a lateral elsewhere or switching industries into law. I’m not super excited about the lateral because I don’t love the substance of my work now. I also don’t know how easy it would be for me to find a lateral with some WFH flexibility either.

The opportunity costs of missed salary, 401k savings, etc., the cost of tuition, and salary differences are workable for me. What I’m wrestling with is how likely is it that I could have a flexible, high paying job post law school and how long it would take me to get there. I feel like I’m at my last chance age wise to switch industries and still make a decent salary.

It sounds like DH is unrealistic, and I appreciate everyone’s input. That’s exactly what DCUM is great at!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would really love to know your gpa and LSAT. We need to start there to evaluate how delusional you are.

3.97 and 172

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Step One is getting through law school. Assuming you go full time, expect to having to put in a solid 10-12 hours a day for the next three years. Then you have to study for the bar exam. Then you have to get hired, and unless you are willing to start at a lower salary “flexibility” and being a junior lawyer don’t mix.

You are at least a half a dozen years away from what you after, at which point you will be much closer to 50 than 40.

What? No. Ugh, I hate it when people who are clearly not lawyers play them on DCUM.

I went to a first-tier law school and graduated top 15% of my class and I treated it like a full-time job, spending about 8-9 hours a day at school, attending class and studying in the library. I spent a few hours (or more if I had a paper due or something) on Saturday studying, but took every Sunday completely off. Law Review work or Moot Court Board (which you have to do, OP, if given the opportunity) can add hours, but you get credit hours for it.

This poster is right about the second part though. You don't get flexibility once at a law firm until way down the line, and even then, it's "flexibility". You have to be reachable to put out fires late at night, during weekends...

Agreed. PP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Step One is getting through law school. Assuming you go full time, expect to having to put in a solid 10-12 hours a day for the next three years. Then you have to study for the bar exam. Then you have to get hired, and unless you are willing to start at a lower salary “flexibility” and being a junior lawyer don’t mix.

You are at least a half a dozen years away from what you after, at which point you will be much closer to 50 than 40.

What? No. Ugh, I hate it when people who are clearly not lawyers play them on DCUM.

I went to a first-tier law school and graduated top 15% of my class and I treated it like a full-time job, spending about 8-9 hours a day at school, attending class and studying in the library. I spent a few hours (or more if I had a paper due or something) on Saturday studying, but took every Sunday completely off. Law Review work or Moot Court Board (which you have to do, OP, if given the opportunity) can add hours, but you get credit hours for it.

Not always. My Law Review cohort was the last to go through with zero credit, even with your Note published.