Age Limit for Law School

<p>Do law schools admit older students? I have heard of people starting law school at 30. Do law schools accept students who are 50 or older?</p>

<p>yes, they do</p>

<p>The oldest person in my class is 47.</p>

<p>Hey ariesathena, out of curiosity, what is the age of the youngest person in your class?</p>

<p>youth is not an impediment to going to law school, but many states require that you be 21 before being admitted to the bar.</p>

<p>I'm a first year - and the answer to your question is 20.</p>

<p>A friend of mine had a law school classmate who was 70 years old. Boalt Hall awards its "Joannie Caucus scholarship" to a female returning student (named for the Doonsbury character who went to Boalt in the strip); my year, it was awarded to a former kindergarden teacher.</p>

<p>I didn't realize there was an age requirement on the bar... I'll be 19 when I would take the exam if I did it right out of undergrad(assuming I graduate in 4 years). Do you know of a list for the states requirements?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>To take the bar at age 19, you would have to have graduated undergrad at 16, then started law school then. Is that your situation?</p>

<p>The age limit to be admitted into practice in California is 18.</p>

<p>The age limit to be admitted into practice in New York is 21.</p>

<p>The age limit in New Jersey is 18.</p>

<p>It sort of surprises me that some young law graduate has not filed suit to challenge stupid age requirements for admission to the bar. There is no reason to require a law student to wait until he or she is 21 to practice law. I guess there are not many 20 year old law school graduates to serve as plaintiffs.</p>

<p>I'm not sure it's stupid to desire some basic maturity before people are allowed to practice law -- a position of often great responsibility. We don't let people drink until they're 21, and we don't let them rent cars until they're 25. I don't care how bright someone is, I don't really want Doogie Howser making important legal decisions.</p>

<p>Young people are not by virtue of their age deemed to be members of a "protected class" under constitutional law. It is accordingly constitutional to enact laws that discriminate against them, as long as there is a rational basis for doing so. The U.S. Constitution includes a number of age limits - the age limit for voting (lowered from 21 to 18 by amendment), the age limit for being a U.S. Representative (25), a Senator (30), and President or Vice President (35).</p>

<p>The one person I know who was in that position simply worked as a legal researcher for the state attorney general's office until becoming a member of the bar. He had a incredibly successful career.</p>

<p>I'll back up Greybeard - I think it makes a lot of sense to demand some age, and therefore maturity that often goes with it, before admitting someone to practice. I just cannot fathom how a 20-year-old, who isn't legal to drink, could represent a person potentially facing a death sentence. Those aren't 20-year-old responsibilities.</p>

<p>There are some people on death row, though, who might have benefited from the assistance of counsel with less access to alcohol.</p>

<p>Or even benefited from attorneys who stayed awake for the trial!</p>

<p>zzzzzzzzz Huh? Did I miss something?</p>