r/LSAT • u/Naive-Cheetah396 • 11h ago
Considering law school as second career
Hello, I was hoping to get some advice or insight into going to law school as a second career.
My undergrad was in Marketing and I currently work in consulting (specifically fin tech consulting) and am 26 F so I've only been out of school for a few years. I really do not love the work I do and frankly took the job because I needed one. I was 18 when I chose my major and didn't have a good enough appreciation of what career would actually make me happy in the long run. I've always felt much more interested about pursing a career that can make a greater impact on others and would feel more meaningful in my day-to-day.
Law school (specifically a specialization in family law) caught my attention because of the opportunity to do just that. Some of my greatest strengths are my organization, attention to detail, love of reading/writing, and ability to think through information logically. I feel these, along with my passion to work in a field where I have an opportunity to make such a direct impact, are what has drawn me towards the possibility of law school. I would be curious to hear other's reasons for pursuing law (or even better, family law) as well as what traits you feel make a good potential lawyer.
I've begun doing my research on the process of taking the LSAT / applying to law school as a second career (aka not directly out of undergrad) and feel I have somewhat of a grasp on steps. But I would really appreciate any additional insight or advice you have given my background. I know this path would take a great deal of time, effort, and money. I am not married nor do I have children, but I do acknowledge that if I were to pursue this, I would be finishing up and actually getting started in the field in my early 30s. I have this gut feeling that this could be the right path for me, but it's feeling understandably daunting at this moment in time. So any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated :)
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u/Theodore_Woodshop 11h ago
Go for it. I've been in marketing for 12 years and just took the LSAT at 40. If you believe this is the way to go, start studying. All you have to focus on right now is the LSAT and getting the best score you can. Take a PT and see how far you have to climb to get a score that makes you competitive for the school you want. Set a target score and test date and then study hard. You got this.
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u/Immediate-Watch7975 2h ago
Hey if you feel a calling towards law, I think there’s no harm in exploring! Could you reach out to lawyers in your circle on LinkedIn and ask if they’d be willing to hop on a quick call with you?
I’m studying for the LSAT, and this would also be my second career as well! I work in tech currently and your story resonates with me. I ended up here because of the undergrad major I chose without much forethought.
I am not sure what your financial situation is like, but I’d encourage you to consider potential debt outcomes (or having conversations with your parents if they are in a position to help you) so that you can make a decision from there.
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u/Brief-Bad-838 5h ago
I’m in consulting too after doing a business degree! I’m applying this cycle :) I am the same age as you roughly.
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u/Naive-Cheetah396 5h ago
Wow love to see someone in the same boat as me!! Where did you begin with preparing for the LSAT? Feeling overwhelmed with all the possible options lol
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u/MileHighLSATprep tutor 11h ago
One thing that I could reassure you on is that it's not unusual at all to start law school in mid to late 20s. The median age at Colorado-Boulder, for instance, is 25.
The applications run from September to late spring for the following semester i.e. if you want to attend in Fall of 2027 you can apply until your specific school's application closes and then attend.
However, it is generally wise to do some preparation for the LSAT and apply early in the cycle so you might consider waiting until fall of 2028 to give yourself adequate time and not feel rushed. However, if you don't like your work, and are ready to start you could take the LSAT in January, and be a 1L by next fall. You'll get mixed comments on here about how good or bad of an idea that is, but imo it's a reasonable choice based on your description of your situation.