I am 37 and considering applying to law schools. I need some advice about the decision to alter my career path. Several friends have told me not to bother going to Law School and instead pursue a MBA, but despite a career in marketing, my heart is in Law, not business. I worry that even if I do get a JD, that my age will exclude me from a career in Law.

I have worked as a senior public relations executive at PR firms and most recently as PR manager for a small software company. I am a very strong writer, developing the skillset in the past decade. I have a BA in Political Science from University of Southern California. However, I was a mediorcre student with a 2.7 GPA. Since college, however, I have changed a lot with my experience. I am much more intellectual and have a much better work ethic than when I was young. Do admissions officers take experience and professional accmplishment into account? I believe that now, I would not only get through law school, but excel.

I realize I won't be considered by top law schools, but is it possible for me to be accepted anywhere relevant? Is this just a pipe dream?

Thanks for your advice.

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your situation. You are correct in that law adcoms will consider experience and professional accomplishment as well as academic record – but the academic record is still important. The reason is, they want actual evidence that you can succeed in an academic environment – and professional accomplishment does not supply this evidence. Having a low GPA may rule out top schools, as you note, but you can mitigate its effect with other schools to an extent by getting a strong LSAT score. The higher your LSAT, the greater your range of options will be for law school. You also could consider taking a relevant course at a reputable college/university and earning an A, to further demonstrate your academic ability.

Also, as a career changer, a compelling personal statement will be absolutely essential.

Your age and a law career: your age may narrow or almost eliminate your chances of getting hired by certain types of law firms, but if you are willing to look at smaller firms and/or you have a unique specialty/experience that will be marketable, then you will still have opportunities, I believe. You may have to look harder and be more creative and proactive in the job search, but age itself would not prevent your having a career in law. The reality is it will affect your overall scope of options, but not close this avenue.

Good luck with your law plans!

Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com

What career should I choose that involve with musketal and nervous system? What health care careeer should i choose? I want to do something that is involved with health problems of the musculoskeletal system and treat the effects of those problems on the nervous system and on general health like arthritis, joints, and ect? I was thinking about chiropractic but they have their different method, so I'm trying to find a different career EXCEPT chiropractic. What career should i choose?
______________
external keyword tool ~ keyworddiscovery.com ~ keycompete.com ~ compete.com ~ webmasterworld.com