I am 55, have spent over 30 years in the IT industry, and now I want to go to Law School. Any advice?

Question

If you yourself have, or you know someone who has started a 2nd professional career at a late age, please let me know your or their experiences. Also, if you are, or happen to know a Law School admissions office worker, what would you consider in this case? Are there any Law Schools who would consider my application seriously? I already have a BS in Computer Science and a Masters in Business Administration, but am no longer thrilled with the line of work I'm in. I've given it a lot of thought and would love to be a public defender. I'm not interested in making a lot of money, but would like to know what the tution costs for Law School would be so I could know how long it would take to repay the tuition costs.

Answer 1

You should use your expertise and focus your studies on intellectual property law.

Answer 2

I cannot give you any advice about changing careers at a late age but I can give you some advice about law school.

You would be a great candidate for law school. Many law schools look at life experience. Of course your LSAT scores counts for a lot too. If you haven't looked into it yet, the LSAT is the Law School Admission Test. It is a nation test that all law schools use in determining admissions. The test score that is required varies depending on the school.

Law school is very difficult. It is nothing like undergraduate school. Law school takes a tremendous amount of dedication. If you are in a position where you plan to quit your job and go to law school full time then that is what I would suggest doing that. Some law schools (not many) offer night school. If you are not able to quit your job and you cannot find a law school with night school then you should probably talk to some admissions dean's prior to applying. Most law schools do not allow you to work and attend law school (unless they offer a night school or part-time school). There are also several law schools online but beware of these. I'm sure they provide a good education but none are accredited by the ABA (American Bar Association). Which means that you cannot take the bar exam.

As far as tuition, law school can be expensive. State schools are going to be much cheaper than private schools. You can expect on average $40,000 to $200,000 in tuition/books. This will depend greatly on the school you go to. There are lots of student loans available including both federal and private.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions. Good luck in your decision.

Answer 3

Lots of schools will accept you, especially in their part-time programs. I did it at 45, with a prior MBA and Ph.D., and I can tell you that my law school class contained several people older than you, two M.D.s and three Ph.Ds. I also know that I was the first person admitted that year, so clearly there was no bias against me for being a bit older. What it does mean is that you will have to choose your career opportunities carefully; the major law firms will probably not be much of an option for you. However, there are usually opportunities in public service (there is usually a need for public defenders) and in private practice for older J.Ds. I haven't heard that any of my classmates had trouble finding jobs if they passed the Bar (I was kind of an exception, because I had no intention of changing careers, but found the legal knowledge useful in the one I already had). With regard to tuition, that will vary considerably by school, but you can usually find it on the websites of the schools you are considering. If you want to talk, email me at [e-mail]. Remember, they are now saying that 60 is the new 40, so it isn't too late to start a new career if you have the energy for it.

Answer 4

My father made a rather drastic career change twice in his later years. First he went from being an engineer to being a teacher. Then from being a teacher to working for the state board of education. The latter included going back to college for a masters degree.

Here were some of his and my thoughts during the process. First, he wasn't sure if he would work long enough to actually make-up the cost of more education. Second he was scared to death of going back to school. He literally went around looking like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. My wife and I had to help him a lot during his first few classes.

The result was great though. He is now making enough that he made up the cost of school in a couple of years. I attribute this to the fact that he is now in the favorite job he has ever had. Each time I talk to him, he has bumped retirement a year later. I don't think it is due to money, but pure enjoyment. He feels so much more fulfillment from work than he ever has.

Looking back, I would gladly loose my inheritance to have my father be this happy, even if he never had been able to repay for school.

Sorry that I cannot help by giving figures and costs.

Answer 5

It is never too late to go back to school, especially if you are doing it for yourself. The time it takes to graduate, you will be near sixty which, in todays span of things is young. Its obvious you do not consider retirement something that you want. You will turn sixty with or without your law degree. If you will be happier at sixty with it, go for it. If its an accomplishment you will regret not having, go for it. The cost is going to vary depending on where you go to law school, that is a question for the colleges you apply to. Depending on how much you have in savings etc. It may take you a while to pay it back if you get government student loans. Still if it takes you ten years to pay it back, you will be seventy and doing something you love. Most people do not retire until seventy now ( SS doesnt kick in till then for most people) You will have a profession you are involved and proud of, go for it. As for schools accepting you, they can not discriminate because of age.

Answer 6

Hi im 16 years old and I think that if you want to do law school I think you should go for it you only live once thats my motto do, learn, and see what you can and change could be good you never know until you give it a try.