I want to be a lawyer

Here's the challenge ....

I would love to be a lawyer. Always loved it. However it is not the career I chose when leaving school in 1974.

I am now 60 years old.

Possible or not? What would it cost?

Where is the best place to realise this dream?

[enaid]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

That's a challenge and half lol takes about 7-8 years so would it be worth it?

[Newcastle_Brown]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

That depends whether you are looking at this goal as a means to a living or just a personal achievement and have the funds to do it.

Are you suggesting (with your mocking lol) that personal achievements are not something "mature" people should consider? Maybe you would suggest I just vegetate in a "care home" until I am pushing up daisies?

Genuine replies only please.

[Diana M]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

I would love to be a lawyer. Always loved it. However it is not the career I chose when leaving school in 1974.

I am now 60 years old.

Possible or not? What would it cost?

I didn't join the legal profession until I was over 60 years old. I began as an intern even though I was technically a pensioner (with a Bus Pass ).

I never wanted to be a lawyer, I was a journalist for over four decades before that.

During the last recession I got hit with a court claim for a credit card * - it became was my burning bush moment. I became acutely aware of the banks' bad practices and the misery they cause people in debt through no fault of their own. So I decided to become a lawyer to fight for others in the same position.

You can train on the job so you'll earn as you learn.

I loathe exams so I never went to Law School or university. I wanted to get out into the world to make a difference when I left school (in the 1960s).

There's no short cut to experience and what you've done in your past may well have equipped you for a future in law. With age comes wisdom. There's more to practising law than knowing your CPRs off by heart.

If you want to be a lawyer you shall be a lawyer. Go for it!

Di x

* Santander v Mayhew here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17670803

and the judgment here > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/h...wjudgement.pdf

[enaid]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

No, sorry didn't mean to come across as rude and most things are possible, good luck to you. I am a bit older than you and just the thought of going back to school would put me off, mind I didn't like it much the first time round.

[Diana M]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school. All I knew is that I wanted to leave so I didn't waste time doing 'A' Levels or going to university. I wanted to 'do' stuff not 'read' stuff.

I joined the Daily Mail as an apprentice and loved every minute of it. I earned about £40 a week. What I learned in those days has been the bedrock of what I do now in the legal world.

What motivates you to become a lawyer?

Di

[Kati]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

I'd love to be legally trained too ... although most courses I've seen are for criminal law not consumer law (which is where I'd want to be) so I'm holding off a bit

[Diana M]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

I'd love to be legally trained too ... although most courses I've seen are for criminal law not consumer law (which is where I'd want to be) so I'm holding off a bit

Every day is a school day working for Jo

My initial 'training' was as a volunteer in a Law Centre in London. I did the meet-and-greet, made tea and photocopied a lot.

I was surrounded by young wannabe lawyers who'd passed their Bar exams with flying colours but knew nothing about life, and even less about debt since they came from privileged backgrounds. They would ask me what I thought about tricky situations. The rest is history as they say.

Volunteering in a legal environment is a good start if you want to become involved in law.

Age is no barrier.

Di

[Newcastle_Brown]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

[MENTION=61310]diana[/MENTION]_ M
Yes! Now you are the inspiration I was looking for! Thank you.

[Diana M]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

@diana_M
Yes! Now you are the inspiration I was looking for! Thank you.

I'm a private person mostly, but your post caught my eye so I thought I'd share my experience with you.

My daughter refers to me as Legally Grey

I have found that inbuilt competitiveness is an essential ingredient to working in law. Legal proceedings are a contest. I don't need to win, I have to win. I'm more competitive than Andy Murray's mother!

Di

[Newcastle_Brown]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

No, sorry didn't mean to come across as rude and most things are possible, good luck to you. I am a bit older than you and just the thought of going back to school would put me off, mind I didn't like it much the first time round.

It's ok. The idea that at 60 you're past it is common. However, I feel I have a lot left in me and vegetating was not on my to-do-list. I am a firm believer in "the future is only over when you're placed in your coffin"

[Kati]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

Every day is a school day working for Jo

My initial 'training' was as a volunteer in a Law Centre in London. I did the meet-and-greet, made tea and photocopied a lot.

I was surrounded by young wannabe lawyers who'd passed their Bar exams with flying colours but knew nothing about life, and even less about debt since they came from privileged backgrounds. They would ask me what I thought about tricky situations. The rest is history as they say.

Volunteering in a legal environment is a good start if you want to become involved in law.

Age is no barrier.

Di

when I was younger, I wanted to be a vet ... I didn't go down that route as (being brought up on an an Animal Sanctuary) I couldn't bear the thought of putting a fit/healthy animal to sleep

Then I wanted to work in psychology ... I did both human and animal psych degrees (passed both with flying colours), but ended up as a single mum working as a cleaner in a pub lol

[Amethyst]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

There are a number of 'older' people in my group doing their LLB through the Open University, if that helps

[enaid]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

It's ok. The idea that at 60 you're past it is common. However, I feel I have a lot left in me and vegetating was not on my to-do-list. I am a firm believer in "the future is only over when you're placed in your coffin"

I fully agree with you but the stress of the classroom would not do for me, not now, I prefer my weekends in my caravan and the less stress the better.

[Diana M]

Re: I want to be a lawyer

I feel I have a lot left in me and vegetating was not on my to-do-list. I am a firm believer in "the future is only over when you're placed in your coffin"

In which case you should put becoming a lawyer on your Bucket List. I put it on mine

I certainly wouldn't want to take advice from a young whippersnapper in their 20s even if they have got a double-first in Law from Cambridge and spent a year at Harvard.

I want advice from someone who's got miles on the clock!

Old age goes down well in some areas of the legal profession (unless you want to do boring conveyancing work etc).

Di