Law School at 40?

[Anonymous]

I think the first few years of being an associate are really hard because there is a huge learning curve. Something that an experienced attorney could do quickly because they are familiar with which statutes or cases apply will take you exponentially longer. Depending on how work flows at whatever firm you work at you may have nothing to do during the day then get grabbed at the end of the day to help out on a case/deal.

[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.

I did go to law school. Beyond that, what you described - 8-9 hours a day and a few hours on Saturday, plus more sometimes - is pretty much 10 to 12 hours a day. Isn’t it? And so what if you “get credit” for Law Review or Moot Court for the “add[ed] hours.” They are still added hours.

I will agree on one thing, though: you are definitely a lawyer, because you enjoy nitpicking.

[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...

New people often don't get how things really are. I spent a lot of time in big law before moving to a small firm with some other big law defectors. Sure, we have some flexibility in where we work, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t answering emails late at night. We recently brought on someone who's never worked in big law and integrated them into deals and they thought they could just take time off whenever and leave the other people on the deal hanging. If it were up to me, we'd only hire folks who graduated at the top of their class, made law review, and put in their time in big law before wanting flexibility. People looking for flexibility and easier rides with poor law school grades and no big firm experience have been a liability.

[Anonymous]

I think where you’re going to have a hard time checking all of your boxes, at least at first, is salary and flexibility. The places that offer the most flexibility are often the ones that pay the least. You also mentioned wanting to start at 150k and to be frank any firm starting a brand new lawyer at 150k is not going to be one known for flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think where you’re going to have a hard time checking all of your boxes, at least at first, is salary and flexibility. The places that offer the most flexibility are often the ones that pay the least. You also mentioned wanting to start at 150k and to be frank any firm starting a brand new lawyer at 150k is not going to be one known for flexibility.

Thanks - that’s really helpful.

[Anonymous]

I went to law school at 36; one of the best decisions I ever made; I make three times the salary I earned pre-law school and am way more happy with my job than I was before. I was far from the only one in this age bracket at Georgetown. You have the stats to get a size able scholarship at a good school, be sure to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.

[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.

I did go to law school. Beyond that, what you described - 8-9 hours a day and a few hours on Saturday, plus more sometimes - is pretty much 10 to 12 hours a day. Isn’t it? And so what if you “get credit” for Law Review or Moot Court for the “add[ed] hours.” They are still added hours.

I will agree on one thing, though: you are definitely a lawyer, because you enjoy nitpicking.

No.

And no.

And you are probably not a lawyer— because your lack of reading comprehension (or maybe just ability to understand simple things?) would keep you from passing a bar exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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!

I am in semi-big law right now. High pay and flexible are not possible in the firms I know. If you get an Associate offer, they are going to want the hours, and on their terms. Then add all the non-billable and socializing/team building BS. I would be more positive if you were looking at a specialty you already have a background in. But, if you go, pick an in-state school, the private school tuition is sky high, and not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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...

New people often don't get how things really are. I spent a lot of time in big law before moving to a small firm with some other big law defectors. Sure, we have some flexibility in where we work, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t answering emails late at night. We recently brought on someone who's never worked in big law and integrated them into deals and they thought they could just take time off whenever and leave the other people on the deal hanging. If it were up to me, we'd only hire folks who graduated at the top of their class, made law review, and put in their time in big law before wanting flexibility. People looking for flexibility and easier rides with poor law school grades and no big firm experience have been a liability.

I would say “people looking for flexibility and easier rides” period. Even those with a high gpa. And when they are coming from Biglaw I feel a lot of concern that they are leaving precisely because they don’t want to work that hard.

[Anonymous]

If you’re in compliance, then an adjacent area of law such as privacy could be a great fit for you and you may be able to go inhouse quickly with that experience. I don’t think your experience will be very valuable to a firm, though, so you’d be starting from scratch there and as other PPs have said, at a big disadvantage compared with all the younger lawyers

[Anonymous]

Where are you located OP?

I never actually did Big Law— I went directly into Big Fed. Hours were long at first but nothing like what my associate friends were doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the first few years of being an associate are really hard because there is a huge learning curve. Something that an experienced attorney could do quickly because they are familiar with which statutes or cases apply will take you exponentially longer. Depending on how work flows at whatever firm you work at you may have nothing to do during the day then get grabbed at the end of the day to help out on a case/deal.

People underestimate this. The learning curve is so steep. It takes years to become an effective attorney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located OP?

I never actually did Big Law— I went directly into Big Fed. Hours were long at first but nothing like what my associate friends were doing.

What exactly is “Big Fed.” I’m DOJ and wondering what else would be included here (and feeling kind of amused about it)? SEC? What else?

[Anonymous]

I think it’s doubtful any big law firm would hire you at age 44 unless you have some highly relevant work experience/contacts.

[Anonymous]

What's your goal? To be a lawyer, or to make $150K? You definitely don't need to be a lawyer to make six figures, and I'd actually advise against it.

Go do sales.