Am I Too Old to Go to Law School?

When I was in law school, one of my classmates was a gentleman in his 70s who had self-started and operated a business for over four decades. He had always wanted to go to law school and his retirement gave him a prime opportunity to realize this ambition. Based on his goals and experiences, the answer to the question may be that you are never too old to go to law school. Of course, every person’s circumstances are different. And the older you get, your reasons for going to law school may differ more from those of persons in their twenties.

The decision to attend law school is one of the biggest decisions anyone can make. It requires not only a commitment to the years of attendance but a commitment to the testing and application processes necessary for admission. Taking the LSAT and finding the school that’s right for you and is an institution that will accept your admission application is a long arduous road in itself filled with ups and downs.

Whether you have always wanted to realize your life’s dream of practicing law or just want to supplement your skills in a different career, going to law school as a thirty- or forty-something, or even older, is not that far-fetched. While most applicants are 25 or younger, a survey of the data shows that 20% of applicants are 30 or older.

If you are in your forties or older, you may have more of a financial cushion than a law student in their twenties. Of course, this is a benefit although there is an argument that the younger student is hungrier for success. Still, going forward, your experiences and the fruits thereof are valuable personal resources in any learning environment.

Experience goes a long way in helping a student prepare for law school. An older student will have more life, if not professional, experience than a law student in their early or mid-twenties. Your everyday life experiences may include direct familiarity with the application of legal concepts that you encounter in law school. And then there is the potential for expanding your professional network with the people you meet and with whom you form relationships in law school. These include teacher-student, student-student, and student-mentor relationships.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the educational process, distance learning is a viable way to earn a law degree for anyone at any age. The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) has been on the cutting edge of distance learning since it first opened its doors in 2013. CDTA’s distance learning option allows students the opportunity to attend law school in real-time from the comfort of home while providing access to classroom lectures 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Unlike traditional law schools, the California Desert Trial Academy emphasizes training and developing students so that they are capable advocates in any courtroom. The California Desert Trial Academy is a 21st Century law school that moves students toward a successful legal career on the first day of class. We believe that practical experience in tandem with legal knowledge is the best road to a successful, rewarding, and prosperous legal career for a student of any age. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.