Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine, October 2005 (Vol. 34, No. 2). All rights reserved.

Jobs

Older students have special considerations in job seeking

by Donna Gerson

Law school demands a great deal of every student’s time, energy, and intellect. The rigors of the curriculum, coupled with the pressure of competition, can take its toll, regardless of one’s age or experience.

For students with significant prior work or life experience, the pressure to achieve can be particularly sharp. Many older law students have left successful, secure career paths to venture into the great unknown of law school. Incurring significant debt and foregoing a steady income for three or more years, many older, second-career law students have families to support, prior financial commitments, and other concerns that younger students may not face. Time, a scarce commodity for all students, may be particularly limited for students with spouses, children, and elderly parents in need of care. Older law students also may encounter obstacles when trying to integrate into law school culture after a long absence from formal schooling.

What can older, mid-career students do to boost their career prospects and get the most out of their law school experience? Here are some suggestions that all students—especially older ones—ought to consider to create a blueprint for success during law school and beyond:

Grades matter (in many respects). The grades you receive, particularly during your first year, will influence your eligibility to be considered at the largest law firms, at most prestigious government agencies, and for federal clerkships. Despite having great prior work experience, maturity, and a proven track record, many mid-career law students are stunned to learn that a B-grade point average can effectively disqualify them from the pool of candidates considered during the on-campus interviewing season.

The issue of grades affects every law student, but it can be particularly difficult for older law students to grasp after thriving in the work world and knowing that grades often are not complete predictors of career success. Nonetheless, grades serve as gatekeepers for certain employers, particularly large law firms, and you need to focus on achieving academically in order to be eligible for jobs with those employers.

If grades aren’t your strong suit, remember that there are numerous hiring opportunities—particularly at smaller and mid-size firms—where grades matter less and legal and life experiences are valued more.

Legal experience matters (in all respects). Grades matter, but your experience doing law-related work will be a significant factor when being considered for employment with small and mid-size firms. While it’s true that prior, nonlegal work experience can be transferable to legal settings, many legal employers don’t see it that way. Therefore, it is essential to gain legal experience beginning with your first summer.

Many second-career students have the opportunity to earn substantially more money during the first summer by returning to their old jobs or taking on consulting projects in their former industries. If you want to practice law, resist the temptation to revert to your old skills set. Instead, explore law-related jobs, whether paid or unpaid, to build your résumé. Legal experience will help you discover practice areas that appeal to you, enable you to become a better interviewee, and provide a hedge against not-so-great grades. Whether you find paid employment, work at a clinic, or volunteer for a judge, gaining law-related experience will build your credentials and make you a more viable candidate for legal jobs.

Learn how to take law school exams. Many older law students who thrive on the Socratic Method are shocked to learn that their easy banter in the classroom does not translate into stellar grades. Because grades matter, take advantage of all the study aids, test-taking classes, and personal coaching sessions you can muster.

Many successful second-career students (and many students straight out of college) assume that, because they experienced academic success as undergraduates or in a prior career, they can decipher the mysteries of law school test taking without assistance. Law school uses a highly subjective, anonymous evaluation system that must be mastered for each professor. Many instructors offer classes and practice sessions on how to take their tests successfully. Attend every study prep lecture and mock test practice session available.

Also, listen carefully during regular lectures to verbal cues about what your law professors value and might stress on an exam. Your professor might say, “this case is particularly important” or “this issue is a hot topic in the profession today,” or in some other way signal that heightened scrutiny during test preparation will be rewarded. During my first year of law school, my torts professor advised our section that the language about strict liability was so important that it was worth memorizing. I took this advice to heart. On the exam, the first question dealt with—surprise!—strict liability.

Socialize with your classmates. You might relate to your professors as contemporaries, but your classmates will be your lifelong colleagues. As you begin building your career following graduation, you’ll find that the connections you cultivate in law school will be a great asset to you. Cross the generational line and connect with law students of all ages and backgrounds. Join a study group. Participate in the student bar association or a club. Take the time to socialize and learn from your classmates.

Use your career services office beginning your first year. Many second-career law students assume that, having succeeded in a prior career, they understand the intricacies of the legal employment market. These generalizations can prove damaging in the long run, particularly if you neglect to visit your career services office until the last semester of your third year. By becoming a regular visitor to your school’s career services office, you will learn about the legal market, receive unbiased advice, and work with a professional to create an employment strategy that works for you.

In particular, career services offices can be helpful in coaching older, mid-career law students through the interview process by anticipating objections and teaching how to present credentials effectively for legal employers. Interviewing with a younger hiring lawyer can present unique challenges and requires careful preparation.

Older students have special concerns about age discrimination, which is difficult to prove but looms large in the minds of students. These concerns range from whether or not to list one’s college graduate year to inquiries about altering one’s appearance. Is it advisable to dye gray hair? Botox wrinkles? Should you revise your résumé to downplay extensive prior experience? How should older students best package themselves for employers? These questions hinge upon many circumstances, particularly your personal comfort level, prior experience, and career objectives. Beyond appearances, older students must confront the reality of working as an entry-level lawyer alongside co-workers and with partners who may be significantly younger than they are. Honing your interview skills to finesse these questions will be a determining factor in your job-seeking success.

Ask for help. Many law students fail to ask for job-seeking help until it’s too late. Between faculty mentors and your career services office, there are many individuals who are available to guide you. By asking for and being receptive to advice, you will ease your transition from your prior career to the academic world, capitalize on your considerable and hard-won accumulated skills, and create a strategy that is right for you.

Donna Gerson, a former law school career services director, is author of Choosing Small, Choosing Smart: The Secrets of Small and Mid-Size Firm Hiring. E-mail her at donna@donnagerson.com if you have comments on this article or would like her to speak at your school.

For more career and job search guidance, visit the ABA Career Counsel at www.abanet.org/careercounsel/students.html.

Return to top of page

Student Lawyer home page