Applying to law school in your 40s
LSAT Student
📚️I'm in my mid 40s and am considering applying to law school. Is my undergrad GPA more important than my career experience? How do universities evaluate applications like mine?
Answers
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Hi Jeana, you are in good company applying to law school as an older student, and I would highly encourage you to do so if your career has led you to this place! At this point in your life, your career experience will be heavily considered in your applications and past grades will not carry so much weight. Some schools will also pay attention to your LSAT score as evidence of your current testing ability.
Your essays will be extremely important as well to show the admissions committee why law school is the best next step for you.
Here’s an article that might be helpful:
https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/articles/advice-for-older-law-school-applicants-to-consider
You’ll be in good hands with Kaplan’s law school admissions consulting team!11 -
Alright, let's talk about your journey to law school. Having advised law school applicants, aged 19 to 65, over three decades, I can tell you that your extensive experience can be a significant asset to your applications.
Your undergraduate GPA is one of the two most important pieces alongside your LSAT score, to get you "in the ballpark" for admission. But your own professional and life experience can demonstrate a wealth of transferable skills vital for success in law, such as analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication, research, teamwork, perseverance, and leadership. It can also provide crucial context for any past academic shortcomings, showing that you've gained maturity and a stronger work ethic. Furthermore, your professional background allows you to bring diverse perspectives, unique knowledge, and valuable skills to the classroom and the legal field.
We’ve just been through an enormously competitive admissions cycle, and so, if at all possible, I’d urge you to double down on your LSAT studies.
I’d also advise you to begin working on several application components prior to the fall admissions season to get a big jump on the process, so that you have the time to position yourself as an applicant with a high-quality application. Several of my admissions consulting clients have already begun brainstorming and even drafting early versions of their personal statement, so that they have the time to think through and create and develop stellar highlight reels and indeed stories of what makes them unique, effective, and special.
I don’t think that I’ve ever seen more satisfied applicants than the 40, 50 and 60+ year-olds who I’ve advised who were accepted to law schools over the past 30+ years. It’s no easy task, but depending on your life experiences, how well you market those experiences in your applications, and, of course, the combination of your highly important LSAT score and a balanced school list, it can be achievable.
-Jesse
Jesse R. Borges, PhD
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Jehana — sorry autocorrect!
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Thank you Brenda and Jesse for the encouragement and advice. I'm excited about the entire process.
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