Feel free to call me crazy.

[gridlore]

I may have, at 43, finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.

A lawyer.

No idea what kind of law I'd practice (or who would even hire a rookie shyster north of fifty) but I've been reading some materials related to Brown v. Board of Education and realize that I love the feel of the law. It's a lot like debate, creating a logical argument backed up by evidence, and setting it against your opponent's arguments and evidence. I like the weight of precedent, the authority of the Constitution, and the idea of the body of law changing and growing with society.

I will also freely admit that a career that doesn't involve 11 hour days spent in a truck is also appealing at this juncture in my life. And I've always wanted a snazzy briefcase.

No idea how to even start. I suppose digging out Kiri's ACT and SAT prep stuff to start getting ready to take those for the first time in my life would be a wise move.

This may just be my insomnia talking, but yeah. The subject has always fascinated me.

Comments

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

I'll pull up the real links for you later, but essentially there are two novice level exams, finishing law school (which there are night/weekend programs) and then the bar exam, which is very hard.

Based on the panels I've shared with you, you'd make a great lawyer. I decided I wanted to spend as little time as possible in a courtroom, myself.

I have joked about getting a tailored business suit with jacket spelling out "ATTORNEY" on the back in best raid jacket style. :). It might just suit you.

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

As promised:

http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10581&id=24442

1) Complete two years of undergraduate college work or pass certain equivalency tests.

2) Graduate from a State Bar-accredited or American Bar Association-approved law school, complete four years of study at an unaccredited or correspondence law school, spend four years studying law in a law office/judge’s chambers program, or complete a study program that combines these various methods.

You may have to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) nearly a year before starting law school. For more information on taking the LSAT and applying to law schools, visit the LSAC Web site at www.lsac.org.

In California, unlike in many other states, you need not study law at an accredited law school in order to take the bar examination. If you decide to study law at an unaccredited or correspondence law school, however, you will have to take and pass the First-Year Law Students’ Examination.

You can meet California’s legal education requirements by spending at least four years studying law under the personal supervision of a California judge of record or a California attorney in his or her law office. (The attorney must be an active member of the State Bar of California who has been in practice for the last five years or longer.) For more detailed information, visit the State Bar’s Web site at www.calbar.ca.gov and click on Admissions.

3) Register with the State Bar within 90 days of beginning your law studies.

4) Pass the First-Year Law Students’ Examination. Law students who successfully complete their first year at certain law schools are generally exempt from this requirement.

5) Receive a positive “moral character” determination. It is a four-to-six-month inquiry into the would-be attorney’s background and moral character. To practice law in California, an applicant must receive a positive moral character determination.

6) Pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.
It is a national ethics examination that takes place three times a year. Candidates seeking to practice law in California must pass it with a scaled score of at least 86 out of a possible 150.

7) Pass the California Bar Examination. The three-day test--administered twice a year--consists of six essay questions, two performance tests and the Multistate Bar Examination (a national 200-question, multiple-choice test on constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, evidence, real property and torts).

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Very good information, thanks!

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Stark raving loony toons. You might be able to find a sort of reputable law school who will take your money, but passing The Bar Exam is sh*t out of luck hard, and without that, you're nothing but a glorified law clerk, with long hours and crappy pay (but at least you wouldn't be sitting in a truck).
My mother retired as Dean of a Law School.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

I have no doubt you have the brains to do it, and it can be fascinating and a lot of fun. That being said it can also be brutally stressful and I can chalk up a couple of major depressions, a heart attack, and my recent back issues to the stress and lack of exercise.

[crankyoldgoat.livejournal.com]

11 hours a day, in a truck, physically acomplishing something, dropping off and picking up.

11 hours a day, reading and re reading prior rulings...

At least with one you get outside and a little exercise.

A friend of mine

[capplor.livejournal.com]

was something around that age, when she went to law school. You might try contacting gailg

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

Law is fun. There's also the paralegal path to consider, if you don't feel like spending the next 8 years in college :)

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Very good point. Paralegal might a good place to test the waters, so to speak.

[caerbannogbunny.livejournal.com]

What I would do first--as a non-traditional student--is take the info about what California requires and potential law schools and find out what the college requirements are for entry (both minimum and ideal).

If California is like the many other states, the next stop will be seeing if there is transfer agreements between colleges providing those entry, pre-law requirements and your local community college system. Then start with the community college system. The advantages are that most of them do not require ACT's or SAT's (at least for older students) and they usually have placement exams for things like math and such as well as classes below the "101" level to help get you where you need to be in order to take the prerequisites. Oh, and most community colleges are less expensive. If you are still working something of a day job, the schedules are often easier to work at the community college than the 4-year.

At least in Arizona, we have a set of state-wide transfer agreements that requires the four-year universities to recognize and accept many of the basic lower division (1st and 2nd year) courses as if you took them at the four year. Most of the community college counselors will have this info for you.

Good luck and I guarantee you won't be the oldest student around...

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

Put down the cup and step away from the Kool-Aid - have you completely forgotten *my* year in hell - I mean law school?

[claidheamhmor]

Sounds pretty cool. Any particular aspect of law? I was always fascinated by commercial law - contracts, legal rights, purchases, property, etc.

[gearhead69.livejournal.com]

This is kind of interesting to me in a "I'd like to start over, please," kind of way. I want to go to school for - something! Last night I was looking up stuff on geometry and machinist schools. I'd also like to take welding classes. I think you have a MUCH better career path plotted! I scored an 8% once in high school in algebra...and I'm looking at geo and trig? Riiiiiight...

I can't help what sounds cool and fun and interesting, though. Not my fault!