Does age limit law career options?

[TheSunDevil]

Age can only help. Two of the offers I have for a summer associate position are from firms who ONLY interview candidates with work experience prior to law school. Apparently more and more firms are doing this. Most of my 2L classmates who don't have offers at the moment went straight through undergrad to law school and are quite young. Age and experience are a definite plus.

Are you high?  Of course age can hurt.  Some of these places don't give a f**ck about your work experience, they just want young strong-backed workers, preferably white and male (once they've filled their quotas).  Who do you think a firm can squeeze more blood out of?  A 25 year old, or a 33 year old?  Who on average is going to have more health problems?  Who might start being more concerned about his or her children or spouse?  It's rotten and illegal, but some of these firms do it anyhow! 

25 vs 33? maybe 25 vs 45.

[up_late]

If you graduate from law school at age 29, no employer of any type will bat an eyelash at your age.  It's completely normal.  If you graduate at 45, then yes, you will be different from the typical new grad, and then employment depends on all sorts of factors, including the type of work you want to do and the type of experience you've had.

[John Galt]

Age can only help. Two of the offers I have for a summer associate position are from firms who ONLY interview candidates with work experience prior to law school. Apparently more and more firms are doing this. Most of my 2L classmates who don't have offers at the moment went straight through undergrad to law school and are quite young. Age and experience are a definite plus.

Are you high?  Of course age can hurt.  Some of these places don't give a @#!* about your work experience, they just want young strong-backed workers, preferably white and male (once they've filled their quotas).  Who do you think a firm can squeeze more blood out of?  A 25 year old, or a 33 year old?  Who on average is going to have more health problems?  Who might start being more concerned about his or her children or spouse?  It's rotten and illegal, but some of these firms do it anyhow! 

Dude, 25 and 33 are not that big a difference, unless your pedro martinez... I douby any age under 40 is going to make a difference, and even over 40 probably wouldn't be that bad for most employers.

[rev]

what if you are over 45 and have grey hair or balding? 

have you been stalking me, you bastard? 

i'm 46, my career services office (as well as the guerrila tactics book) recommended that i use a functional resume rather than a chronological one, and leave all references to dates and number of years experience off of it.

i look a lot younger than my age, so it shouldnt be a problem, unless i'm asked specifically, which is an illegal interview question -- and if they are concerned enough to ask, they probably dont want me anyway

i intend to probably do government rather than firm law anyway, which makes it even less of an issue

[LALaw04]

Age can be a benefit to you if you have the right attitude.  Experience can really help.

[petronius]

Do you think being too young limits your options as well? I'm on track to get my jd at 23, will my youth hinder my chances at finding a good job/clerkship?

[up_late]

Many 23-year-olds graduating from my law school have great jobs lined up.  The ones with problems are those who leapt into law school too early, when they weren't fully committed to getting a law degree and being a lawyer.  You just have to assess your own maturity.