r/LawSchoolOver30

I am a uni of Exeter graduate with a 2:1 (64) from a Russell group uni. I’m 31 and spend my career working in public policy, think tanks, charities etc. Law was always the dream but I was in a car accident when I was 22 which meant I couldn’t complete the GDL so ended up in politics. I’ve loved my career but I always dreamed of law. I’ve decided to go for it and try and get vac schemes and training contracts. I need some advice:
Should I self fund my GDL whilst continue working, try work as a paralegal then get a TC somewhere?
Should I just focus on vac schemes, see if I get a TC and then get the firm to fund my conversion and SQE?
What firms would value me? I want to go commercial law but I want my experience to be an asset? How do I tell a compelling story about my experience and where should I focus my efforts?

Thanks in advance!

Currently 35, been making 6 figures + for awhile now in tech sales. Feeling a bit jaded/burnt out.

Was pre-law track in college but I had a bunch of lawyers who "made it" tell me if you are not 100% sure don't take on the debt. Thought they were right until I started feeling burnt out on sales.

Anyone go back to school at my age? What was it like?

I am working with licensed medical professionals to figure out ways to sleep better, and I am doing all of the obvious things (exercising every morning, very strict consistent sleep schedule, no caffeine after 10am, short walk and no screens an hour before bed, blackout curtains, etc.) - which is all to say I am NOT seeking suggestions for managing/dealing with my insomnia.

I am looking for tips from other folks who deal with insomnia on how to handle the symptoms while taking the test - i.e. the mind-wandering, the impaired judgement, the difficult retaining information. Also, if you have insomnia and just had to retake and hope for better sleep next time, that's also honestly probably helpful to hear. Or if you got accommodations? Also would be helpful to hear!

Thanks!

So I had to get my undergrad all over again because the school I had gone to almost three decades ago was stripped of its accreditation.Four years and I’ve done well enough to get a 3,8+ GPA and a decent score on the LSAT. Got into law school with a good but conditional scholarship.

I start 1L in August and I am completely adrift and have no one to give any real advice for this.

What do I need to know? What advice can you give?

Hi all,
30 F, will get citizenship soon, have a family already, and have a CS degree with 3.5 GPA from University of Washington.
I graduated around 2023 and went to full maternity leave. Now looking for jobs and it is hard to get junior positions
I always wanted to go to law school ( Harvard)
Thinking about it now more,
Is it hard to get in to Harvard, if I will make it , should i choose patent or Tax law?
Is there any age discrimination in Law career as in CS?
Also, how is my chances to get in with 3.5 GPA?

I’ll be turning 35 in a couple of months and have been thinking about going to law school. I’m currently a school counselor and just see how the systems at play benefit upper level admin and federal / national levels. Everyone on the top just banks of the face that teachers, educators and parents don’t know laws and rights. Is it worth it to go back to law school at this age? Can I go part time?

Hi, all! My fiancé doesn’t have a reddit account so I’m asking on behalf of him because he’s trying to prepare as much as possible for his first semester in August. He is extremely ambitious because he wants to transfer to a better school (he’s grateful to have been accepted to one nearby, but he wants to aim for the more prestigious one a little farther if he can) and he wants to work in biglaw. He already went to a networking event for his school (they’re very good about hosting these events) and got some information he needed, like the numbers for certain goals he wants to accomplish (i.e. the top 5 students of their class year often get the best internships, as can be expected). He does have to work while in school, so he’s searching for a part-time job now (he works full-time atm). And he wants to maintain a healthy balance with school, work, and life so he doesn’t burnout. What are some pearls of wisdom you can offer for an overachieving 1L student? Thank you in advance!

I have a 2.2 gpa and I want to go to law school by August of next year. I’m currently studying for my lsat and I’m aiming to be a splitter. I did terrible in undergrad and I’m aware of this. I had 2 very close deaths in my life during undergrad around the same time and when I would have my ups and downs my grades would too. I have semesters where I did good and semesters where I did really bad. I’m already scoring decently in the 160s for my practice tests. I’ve already taken a gap year and have been looking at schools like thurgood marshall, NCCU, Southern, UDC and Howard. Ik everywhere I apply is a reach school but it’s my dream and I know I can dedicate myself 100% now. My questions are do I have a chance, what schools do you think are best for me to apply to and what should I make sure my applications consist of?
Thanks!

Anyone serious about applying to an ABA accredited school with strong outcomes after graduation should take the LSAT. This is especially true for those with uGPAs that are below the median for their target schools and those who are relying on receiving scholarship money to fund their education.

This is common knowledge for most already navigating the application process, but there was a post in here earlier this week sharing misleading information based on the poster’s interpretation of info found on the JDNext website.

Your uGPA and LSAT score are the two main metrics schools look at when evaluating applicants. That hasn’t changed, despite what an infographic on the website of a company looking to sell their services/product might lead some to believe.

Anyone with a finite amount of time and resources (most, if not all of us fall into at least one of those two categories) shouldn’t waste their time and money taking an alternative exam that is only accepted by approximately 1/3 of ABA accredited schools without first taking the LSAT and getting the best score possible.

The LSAT isn’t a perfect test, and the LSAC is certainly far from perfect as an organization. But, that’s the nature of the beast.

The title pretty much says it all. Ive wanted to go to Law School for most of my life and finally built up the courage to register for the LSAT.

What I’m really asking for is any and all study tips or resources.

I tried finding a prep book but I got overwhelmed with all the options.

As for method, when I took the NMLS, my study routine was practice test > study game > practice test > study game over and over again. Would that work for the LSAT?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Spent 25 years as a journalist ; took a buyout a few years ago (my husband was dying and I was overwhelmed). One daughter in high school the other middle school.

Honest opinions please: Is it too late for me?? I have always wanted to be a public defender or work with immigrants. Do something to help the world.

What scares me most is AI, actually . I don’t like robots.

Hi,

Some context... I'm working in public transportation making around $100k cad a year. Honestly, the work isn't that bad. The customers make it frustrating at times but it's quite nice. Working with the city gets you benefits, generous time off policies, and guaranteed overtime if you want it. My schedule looks like this: I work for four hours, I get a four hour lunch, and then I go back to work for four hours. In the middle of my day I'm working out and enjoying a sauna.

Here's the catch - the work is freaking boring. I drive a bus in circles all day. I feel like I'm Sisyphus condemned to go up a mountain all day, except it's a bus driving in circles.

My wife is in law school and the things she's learning are quite interesting. During her year, I was attending her classes here and there and keeping up with the readings.

I'm now considering giving the LSAT a try and seeing what happens.

Having said all that, is it really worth it? I'm already making an okay living. I have no real responsibilities. I would be trading all that for 5+ years of grinding before I can make any serious money.

In case it matters, I'm almost 30. University was many years ago for me so I would be an adult learner.

A side note - I think I would enjoy family law. Maybe even senior law? I used to work in the community service field and I do miss helping people sometimes. But what do I know about legal work, I don't know what helping people actually looks like in this field.

Anyone have a similar story? Such as switching careers from one already paying somewhat well?

Thank you!

In NJ. Already have a BA in Psychology from 10-15 years ago. I want to do something with labor or health and safety. I've been told the first step from here would be to study and take the LSAT. What does the path look like? How long would it take part time? What is the cost like? What does the pay look like for a lawyer starting out in those areas of law? Is it feasible to go to school online? Any advice or recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Not currently in a union, but in the hiring process to join one. Don't want to give details for privacy reasons.

29th birthday was yesterday. Considering law school, will finish my BA by May 2028 and I will then be over 30 by the time I would be applying to law school.

Undergrad in criminal justice. Army veteran, so already feel way behind just now going to school and finishing.

Family is telling me to just get a stable office job somewhere, but I don't want a menial job. My thought is that time passes anyway, why not do it?

LSAT practice range between 154-164

Married, 1 young child

I am a 38-year-old married mother of four (ages 13, 10, 7, and 4). Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an attorney. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting in my grandfather’s law office, fascinated by the work he did.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and have spent the last 14 years building a successful clinical career. But the desire to pursue law has never really gone away.
For the moms out there who have made a significant career change later in life: Is it realistic to pursue law at this stage and still be a present, engaged mom? For those who became attorneys, were you able to find a position that allowed you to make a decent living, cover student loan payments, and maintain a reasonable work-life balance without consistently working or studying 60+ hours a week?
I’d love to hear honest experiences—the good, the bad, and everything in between.

I’m a non traditional student that has been out of school for over a decade. I’ve been working the same career the entire time. I’ve done everything I wanted to do in my field and it’s time to pursue my dream. I’m married with kids and for the sake of my family I am not going to move out of state. The schools I am strongly considering are Mcgeorge (ranked in the 150s) and Davis(ranked 52 I think) . I haven’t taken the LSAT yet but my PTs are in the 165 range after about a month of studying. My GPA is 3.2 and I will be writing a GPA addendum due to some extenuating circumstances . If my official LSAT score stays in my practice range I think I can comfortably get into Mcgeorge. I think if I can get my LSAT up to 170+ I will have a possible shot at Davis as well.

I have no ambition of going into big law. I am most interested in criminal law. Davis is my goal but I don’t think I would be unhappy at either school. Going to either school would mean a minor affordable relocation for me. And being in the Sacramento/Davis area, family can assist with child care. I believe Davis also has a great child care program. All the other Bay Area schools would require an hour plus commute each way without traffic.

If I don’t get into Davis, would it be a bad idea to attend Mcgeorge? I know people talk about predatory scholarships, but for the sake of argument financing school isn’t an issue.

Does anyone have any input on what would be an acceptable LSAT score for applying for an online or hybrid program if I don't need scholarships?

My UGPA is 3.54, even though that was almost 20 years ago!

Just seeing if anyone here has had luck with applying to hybrid/fully online programs with only a JDNext score? I scored an 850, and cannot go to law school without an 80-100% tuition scholarship.

31 y/o and just got my June score back today. It was a 155. I studied for 6 months before taking a break because I got a new job. I studied for a few months leading up to the test.

I just need some advice on where I’m at. I am looking for a part-time program because I am working full-time with a family. I would love to go full-time but don’t think I would get any scholarships with this score. I’m in Tampa and there are really only two schools (Stetson and FAMU) that are local enough for a part-time program.

Part of me wants to keep studying, but I know that is going to require more time and potentially putting my sights on another cycle. I have already waited one cycle to attempt the LSAT.

Am I being too hard on myself? Should I study and retake? Should I just apply?

For background I have been out of college for 12 years now. I worked a career that I thought I was going to stay at until retirement. As of the last few years I have been seriously considering law school. I am in the SF Bay Area, East Bay to be more precise. Since college I have bought a house, gotten married and had kids.

I was not a great college student as I worked full time to be able to afford to live. I only wanted the degree for my current career. My grades suffered and I graduated with a less than stellar GPA .

I have been studying daily for the last month and will continue to do this until the November LSAT. Living in the Bay Area my "local" school choices are USF, UC Hastings, Santa Clara, UC Davis and potentially Mcgeorge. The closest school to me is an hour drive with no traffic ( USF and UC Hastings) the farthest school is an hour and a half away from me (Mcgeorge).

With my current LSAT practice scores I think I can get into USF, Santa Clara and Mcgeorge. My goal school is UC Davis, but that will require some more studying.

If you were in my shoes and got into one of these schools, would you commute an hour plus each way to law school? I currently do a commute similar to this, but I can adjust my schedule to avoid traffic. I am assuming Law School is M-F 9-5 ish, and I am afraid this commute will be terrible for school, sleep, spending time with my kids and overall quality of life.

Relocating for most of these schools would be insanely expensive with a family.

I am also considering applying to some schools outside of the state and in Southern CA.

Long term I would like to stay or come back to CA, but I am open to leaving the state for school. If anyone has attended law school with a family I would love to hear your insights.