Law School Discussion

I'm 46 years old. I'm in Memphis.

I can get into Memphis and not add a lot of debt over the 3 years; maybe an extra $35k over my undergrad loans. I can do this with minimal, if any, LSAT prep (but I *WILL* be studying and prepping).  Cold diagnostic (online) was 153 and I went -14 on logic games, -5 & -10 on LR, and -8 on RC.

I can bust my ass for 4-5 months and hypothetically/maybe score a 165-170 (maybe even a little higher), and combined with my projected gpa of 3.8 get some decent scholarship and with living expenses maybe be out an extra $75k over my undergrad loans.

When I graduate I'll be 51 years old. At this age does rank even matter considering how firms will likely ding me for being an old fart?

I could use some guidance in two areas, please.

First, a little about me. I'm a 45 year old undergraduate who has worked in a family carpet cleaning business for the past 20+ years, with no insurance, living week to week on about $32k year (yeah, I've always been a working class stiff). I always wanted to practice law whether it was arguing a civil case, a criminal case, or even help small business owners collect on their accounts receivables, so I took the plunge back into college about 3 years ago. I am currently on track to graduate next year with a high grade point average (3.7+) with a double major in Political Science & Philosophy, and am averaging about 160 on practice LSATS. By the time I'm done with the undergraduate and law degrees, even at a local state school (large metro), I'll be about $100k in debt. However, I fully intend to hang a shingle and start doing collections work for small mom & pop companies across the state who service the multi-family housing (apartment) market for property investment and management firms, as unsecured creditors. I know our small company generates an easy $15k annually for our current attorney and we're small potatoes in a market saturated with small potatoes who need the collections assistance.

Second, I'm confident I'll get admitted to law school but want to maximize my ability to be able to do a few things immediately upon graduation/passing the Bar exam.
1 - Be competent to serve as prosecutor or public defender if the debt load proves too much and I need to serve 10 years in public interest to get out from under it.
2 - Be competent to hang a shingle for small business assistance (organization, contracts, collections)
3 - Be competent to hang a shingle for criminal defense (DUI, for example)
4 - Be competent to hang a shingle for civil litigation (insurance bad faith, for example)

Which brings me to where I need the help.

A - I need a reality check to know if what I'm looking to do is really worth it from a financial standpoint considering the current legal market and economy.

B - Looking at the course offering, I've tentatively selected the courses and semesters that *I THINK* will best serve my end goal of solo practice, and would like advice, comments, and criticisms of what I've selected. I list them below.

Thank you very much for any assistance and guidance.

Bob Huddleston

Year 1 Fall
Civil Procedure I
Property I
Torts I
Legal Methods I
Criminal Law

Year 1 Spring
Civil Procedure II
Property II
Torts II
Legal Methods II
Contracts
Constitutional Law

Year 2 Fall
Business Organizations I
Criminal Procedure I
Civil Procedure III
Trial Advocacy
Evidence

Year 2 Spring
Debtor – Creditor
Criminal Procedure II
Sales
Secured Transactions
Remedies
Professional Responsibility

Year 3 Fall
Criminal Justice Extern.
Civil Rights
Discovery
Legal Argument & Appellate Practice
Litigation Drafting
Administrative Law

Year 3 Spring
Conflicts
Insurance Law
Contract Drafting
General Sessions Litigation Clinic
State Civil Procedure Seminar.
Federal Courts