Over 30 yrs old recent grads question

[imwithhappy]

I've got a couple of questions for the over 30 3L's and grads.

How receptive were firms/clerkships about your age during your job search?
Did you sense any hesitation or feel that you got less interviews because of your age?
Do you feel your younger classmates had a better chance of getting a job?

I ask because I am 33 yo entering LS this coming fall and was curious.

thanks in advance.

[thorc954]

I am not in the category you were soliciting responses from, but I have several friends that are mid 30's-40's and none of them had any problems getting interviews or jobs (when compared with younger students).   Not only do they have impressive resumes full of work experience, but they are a lot more mature then the typical 2L.  It seems like non-traditional students are ideal for law firms as most of them have the resumes together and are less likely to just be doing the big law job, in specific, temporarily.

[imwithhappy]

Thanks for the great replies.  It is nice to have some reassurance when you are leaving a successful job/career to dive into something completely new and start over again.

[jacy85]

I am not in the category you were soliciting responses from, but I have several friends that are mid 30's-40's and none of them had any problems getting interviews or jobs (when compared with younger students).   Not only do they have impressive resumes full of work experience, but they are a lot more mature then the typical 2L.  It seems like non-traditional students are ideal for law firms as most of them have the resumes together and are less likely to just be doing the big law job, in specific, temporarily.

Ditto from my friends over 30 as well.

[lawmama09]

I'm 30 and I haven't graduated yet, but I got plenty of offers for summer positions for this upcoming summer. A lot of the interviewers seemed happy that I had experience in the business world. For me, it didn't seem to be a disadvantage at all. We'll see if I get an offer at the end of the summer before I get too confident though.

[eli250]

the type of experience on the resume definitely makes a difference. My public interest background helped me at some firms, particularly those known for being liberal.  It definitely hurt my chances at other firms.

[Alamo79]

I'll be 30 when I start work--6 years of experience with a consulting firm really helped me, everyone with whom I interviewed commented positively about it.  But there's a certain age where the biglaw sweatshops may start to question your willingness to put up with the long hours and BS of being a junior associate.  What age that is, I'm not sure.  It's probably more like 45 than 35.  And if your prior work experience is at all comparable to work you'd be doing with the firm, I don't think it will be an issue at all.

[nmccar2]

I think age doesn't truly make a difference.  But the experience from a prior career can only help you, whether it applies to the law firm's current practice or not.  You can always utilize your prior experience in one fashion or another. 

[Jumboshrimps]

I'll be 30 when I start work--6 years of experience with a consulting firm really helped me, everyone with whom I interviewed commented positively about it.  But there's a certain age where the biglaw sweatshops may start to question your willingness to put up with the long hours and BS of being a junior associate.  What age that is, I'm not sure.  It's probably more like 45 than 35.  And if your prior work experience is at all comparable to work you'd be doing with the firm, I don't think it will be an issue at all.

I'll be 31 when I graduate in a few weeks. I agree with the above response, and I'll supplement by saying that small firms are immune to this "younger is better" problem. In fact, the opposite is likley to be true. In other words, being a little older probably makes you more likely to do business professionally, but less likely to throw your entire being into completion of a project for hours, days, and even weeks on end. Big firms expect the latter out of associates, and they know a very important truth: The older one gets, the less inclined he is to trade time for money.

The flip side of that truth is this: the older one gets, the more able he is to differentiate between what is truly important and what is not. This means we are all getting more efficient. Efficiency is more important when your top priority is pleasing clients than it is when your top priority is billing time. I submit that this explains the tendency of big firms to prefer young entry-level associates.

[scarlett]

I'm a 31 year-old 2L who plans to do a (very short) stint in biglaw, and I did feel that my age and background may have played a role in my not getting callbacks at some places (to be fair, this is entirely based on gut and wishy-washy feelings.  I may just be an ass in interviews - but my fellow Old Folks reported similar experiences.) 

That said, I got the job that I wanted - the firm I'll be summering with was my first choice going in and seems to be a great fit for me.  They seem to be excited about my experience and non-law credentials.