Law School For The 40+ Crowd
Image by The Pulitzer via Flickr
Where once only a minority of law students were over the age of 40, it has become a growing trend in most law schools across the nation, the average age of an incoming law student is between 26-29 years of age. (www.top-law-schools.com) Many people over the age of 40 are enrolling in law school for numerous reasons: obtaining an advanced degree, a second or third career move, or for pure enjoyment of learning. These mature students are attending law school in record numbers but, sometimes, there is a downside.
The older student faces many or even more obstacles than a younger counterpart. Many of these older students have to face getting back into the routine of studying and turning in assignments; also, these older students have other responsibilities besides making good grades in law school. Most older students have a family of their own and, also, a job during the day or night. Some older students have even remarked that they feel ostercized by their own classmates. The younger student may feel that the older student shouldn’t be there because they already have a career or they don’t need the income. Many older students remarked that even law professors do not take them seriously or feel they are not up to the rigors of law school. Let’s face it, as we get older, it gets harder and harder to retain information. However, statistics prove out that the older student is much more focused and motivated than their younger classmates. And an older student’s choice to take a postgraduate course or degree program is a more mindful choice as an adult person.
Even with these hurdles to overcome, most mature age law students agree that it was well worth the effort to achieve a law degree.
