I Want to Change Careers and Become an Attorney But Won’t Graduate Law School Until I’m 40 – What Obstacles Will I Face?

Question: I am a 35-year-old VP at an investment bank and I am thinking of changing careers to become a lawyer. However, I am very nervous about my job prospects not only after law school but also about my prospects for obtaining a summer associate position because of my age (I will be 40 when I graduate). In your opinion, will I face adverse reactions when the interviewers realize my age and my 14 years of experience because they feel I don't "fit the mold" of a typical associate? Also, how should I structure my resume?

Answer: This is a very touchy question. I probably will receive some angry responses to my answer, but here I go...


Over the last 20+ years of my career I have met many people who went to law school as a second career. Some are very marketable candidates for my clients; others are not. What makes them marketable or not has more to do with their credentials than with their age. In fact, making the determination as to whether or not we can help these "second career" candidates is based almost entirely on the same set of factors as the person who has followed a more "traditional" career path.
 
If you have been admitted to a top ten law school and you are in the higher ranks of the class, you are going to be recruited by every major law firm for their summer associate program. Your experience in an investment bank should be of great interest to the corporate departments of these law firms. As a summer associate candidate, your viability will be based on your academics.

Although I have deleted the name of your investment bank, I can assure you that there will be many attorneys who will be interested in meeting with you simply because of where you worked. This is a very prestigious employer to list on your resume.

Speaking of resumes, yours should not be all that different from the other law school student resumes. However, your resume will have an additional section called "Non-legal Experience" or something along those lines. It will be here in this section that you will put down your experience at the investment bank.

I have noticed on the resume of many second career law students and/or attorneys that the date of their undergraduate graduation is omitted. If this makes you feel more comfortable, then by all means leave that date off of the resume. However, don't kid yourself - the mere omission is a signal that you are probably older than a 23 or 24-year old second-year law student. And even if this signal is not there, once you meet with your interviewers face-to-face it is going to be evident that you are not in your early twenties.
 
The main issue you need to deal with during your interviews is your stamina. Associates can be expected to lead a grueling life. You need to ask yourself if you are physically up to the demands that an associate may face. For example, do you think you can sit at the printers until 3 a.m.? And can you then return to the office by 9 a.m., fresh and ready for a new day? This is generally not a problem for someone in their 20's, but only you can honestly assess how you will be able to handle this kind of workload in your 40's. If you are in good health and are committed to the practice of law, it probably will not be impossible for you. If you truly believe that you can keep up with the hectic pace expected of a summer associate or a junior law firm associate, then you must make sure that you address this potential hesitation and overcome it.

As we all know, it is illegal to reject your candidacy because an employer thinks you are too old. Besides, one would hope that age discrimination is a thing of the past. However, you never know when some close-minded individual worries that the firm will not get their money's worth with an associate who is a little bit older. Therefore, I would definitely address the issue of stamina and energy in a very subtle but confident manner.

Lastly, let me assure you that 40 is not that old. A little bit of "gray hair" along with some life experience is a big plus. Make sure that you emphasize this in your interviews. Just so you know, we have placed many associates that entered the law as a second career. Age has never been a factor. So, go ahead and enroll in law school and remember, just as I tell every other law school student, be the best you can possibly be. I hope this advice helps.

Summary: This is a very touchy question. I probably will receive some angry responses to my answer, but here I go...