I know there are lawyers who are frequent flyers at this site. I recently thought of going to law school as a start of a 2nd career – after 24 years in my first career. Any comments on starting this pursuit at age 50+?

A lot depends on your motivation and goals. Whenever I sit for a bar examination in another state, I survey the testing room, spot a few folks older than me, but know I am awash in a sea of youth. Then I think, hmm, if one of these youngsters fail, they have to explain to their parents or significant others, or a hiring partner in some firm . . . me, I'd just have to go back to Hawaii and work . . .

What kind of law would interest a man who has spent so many years in data processing?

Go do it and start busting people like Bernard Madoff. Former Chairman of the board of NASDAQ. Can you believe that?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

That smart horned toad certainly Madoff with alot of gelt.

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You've left a lot of stuff unsaid.

I attended law school at night along with many others who were changing careers or supplementing their education.

Day or night?
Will you be working while in school, and how hard?
How does your spouse/kids feel? (Law school at night stuff broke up some marriages in my class.)
How hard is the program you'll be attending?
Are you doing it for the education, or do you want to make a living with it?
(If the latter, what is reputation of the school you'll be attending at getting their grads employed, and are you willing to make the sacrifices to get the good grades?)
How strong is your motivation?
Are you prepared to take a CUT in pay to begin as a lawyer? (I did.)

Good luck,
Al

Hawaii and work???? Seems odd to hear those words together.

I attended a seminar years ago and the lecturer was Randall Roth. Tax Atty from Honolulu. Know him?

Al asks good questions: Will the investment in the education be to enhance income , or for general life fulfillment?


My late father in law went to law school in the middle of his career as a GP MD , probably back in the late 60's. He attended Dickenson Law School in Carlisle PA. He was sued for malpractice by a patient, which he won. But he became interested in law in the process and went to law school juggling it around his office hours in Camp Hill PA.
He did get a law degree, but never precticed law. Went into business. Medical equipment manufacturer,iirc. He probably could have done better financially in Medical malpractice, but he said he'd never sue a fellow MD under any circumstasnces.

Can you piggyback a law education with your first career and create a niche for yourself and hit the ground running once you have a degree, so to speak?

Anglo-American.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Talk to a kollege and ask them, based on your average situation, what it will take to graduate in terms of money and time. Ask for REALISTIC projections. I will give you 2 extremes.

My mother decided to do a Masters in Adult Edumakashun. Took here 1 year and got a 3.8+ GPA. What does this mean she had to do? Well, nothing but study, day an night essentially. Kids are all grown up so it was no skin off her teeth. All she did was Eat, Sleep and Study. She was paid full salary while at school, tution was all paid for so she only had to pay her way for room and board which she had squirreled enough money for. She had to get overrides for the credits she took since it was way out of what they allowed per semester.

My wife, thanx to Lupus, cannot function as a floor RN for the rest of her life till retirement. So, she went back to school in 01 and graduated in 06 as a Nurse Practitioner. She had to take a Pharmacology class later in her skool career because that class had an expiration date. She made about a 3.6 GPA. She seldom took a full load because she didn't have the time.

In my Mom's case, it was pretty much fun and games for her since she didn't have to really do anything with that degree and it becomes a pretty piece of paper to hang on the wall. She was a few years from retirement so WGAS. In the Wife's case, it was an absolute necessity since she had that Lupus issue. I think we investigated it a few years back and decided to send her to NP school instead of MD school because the amount of work in MD school, if she wanted to specialize was longer and she wouldn't make her money back. OTOH, if she were 20 years younger, we wouldn't have hesistated to send her to MD school and let her specialize and make the big bucks. So, at this time, you need to figure out the financial cost and figure if you retire at say 62, whether you will make your money back and then some. If not, it wouldn't be advisable.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

We already have too many lawyers, and lawyers don't get paid as much as they used to because there are so many. On top of that, any future employer will look at a 50 year old new grad and look at a 25 year old new grad and hire the younger guy because he can get more work out of him for a longer period of time.

Do something better with your money and time.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

Just a warning, I'm buying my way into the TX bar.

What is the cover charge there?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Is it topless?

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I had my fill of the topless bars. Totally nude is where it is at.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

My aunt went back to school and became a lawyer at around age 55. She hasn't risen to the top tier of any sort of law practice but she has made a comfortable living doing research and editing for law firms. Her arthritis is seriously bad, and has been for around 10 years -- gnarled up hands and all -- and she still makes a good living for a woman in her late 70s.

She keeps working so she can help in her many grandkids' educations.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K