Is going to law school at 30 worth it?

Asked by: Letitia Hill DVM  |  Last update: December 30, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (60 votes)

You are never too old to go to law school! There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting law school at 30, and you definitely won't be alone. Your law school class will be filled with people of all ages and backgrounds in life, including those on their second (or third) career.

Is it worth it to go to law school at 30?

It's never too late in life to apply to law school. Although most applicants are under 25, about 1 in 5 are 30 or older and a much smaller proportion are over 40. Many older law school graduates build fulfilling second careers that draw on preexisting skills and experiences.

Is it too late to go to law school at 30 reddit?

It is absolutely not too late for you. When I went to law school, I did not go right from undergrad - I worked for a couple of years, and I was expecting to be one of the older people in my class. The truth was just the reverse. Many people in my cohort were in their 30s and 40s; many had families.

Is a 3.7 GPA too low for law school?

The average GPA for law school is between 3.91. However, like LSAT scores, it's important to understand that the specific average GPA can differ depending on the law school and its level of competitiveness. Top-ranking law schools often expect higher average GPAs, typically ranging from 3.8 to 4.0 or even higher.

How late is too late to apply for law school?

Most law school application deadlines tend to be in February or March, with some even being as late as April or May. While it is not a bad thing to submit your application for the final deadline, we do recommend aiming to submit your application by your school's early submission date.

10 Signs You Should Become A Lawyer

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Is the LSAT going away in 2025?

The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the Council's proposed change in February 2023. If the House votes to nix Standard 503, the standardized-test requirement won't go away until 2025. So, the LSAT isn't definitely going away, and it's definitely not going away until 2025.

What is a good LSAT score?

According to U.S. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150; however, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better. For a Top 10 law school, a 170 or more is desired. Of course, this all depends on which schools you are applying to.

How rare is a 176 LSAT?

Less than 1% of test takers score a 176. It's a very hard thing to do. Don't let this sub skew your perception of what's realistic.

Is a 2.3 GPA good in law school?

A 2.3 GPA is considered low for most law schools, but it's not impossible to get admitted. You can compensate with a high LSAT score, strong letters of recommendation, and a compelling application.

How hard is it to get a 170 on the LSAT?

The LSAT is scored on a bell curve, ranging from 120 to 180. On recent tests, the hump of the curve has centered around 153. Percentiles vary slightly between tests, but generally around 25% of test-takers score 160 or higher, 5% score 170 or higher, and 1% score 175 or higher. Only one in 1,000 test-takers scores 180.

How hard is the LSAT?

This process is not only time-consuming but can be very expensive as well. So yes, the LSAT is hard, and it is designed that way. It's not so much a test that requires a student to remember random facts, but instead, it is a test that showcases a student's thought process.

What age do most finish law school?

What Is The Average Age Of Law Students? The average age of law students is 25 or younger. Only 20% of law students are 30 or older. While only a small percentage of law students are above the age of 40, there have been several successful older graduates.

Is it worth applying to law school late?

If you are ready to submit your application earlier than that, go for it. You may receive a decision sooner. Apply late in the cycle only if waiting will help you significantly strengthen your candidacy. For example, some applicants plan to retake the LSAT to aim for a better score.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Patent Attorney Salary

Patent attorneys are the highest-paid type of lawyers, with an average salary of $185,351, ranging from $119,88 to $285,530. Various factors contribute to a patent attorney's average salary, including experience, firm, location, and subject matter expertise.

How hard is the bar exam?

The bar exam is hard. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult challenges you ever embark on. You must memorize numerous laws and consume a lot of knowledge to answer questions correctly. For many, it feels like trying to hold sand in your hands, knowing that you'll inevitably lose much of it.

What is the average age to go to Harvard law school?

I believe the exact statistic could possibly be found online, but in my experience, it was about 24–25 for a 1L (first-year) student. In other words, most first-year students had graduated from college and spent one or two years working or doing internships before starting at law school.

Is 2.9 GPA too low for law school?

1. What Is the Lowest GPA For Law School? Since the majority of law schools require a GPA of 3.0 or higher, anything below a 3.0 is considered very low. Some of the absolute lowest GPA requirements for schools are 2.80.

Is GPA or LSAT more important?

In general terms, it can be said that law schools value LSAT scores more than they do undergraduate GPA, but whether or not this statement applies to a given institution and how by much depends on the school.

Is a 2.7 GPA bad for law school?

So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low. But to answer the question what GPA do you need to get into law school, any law school, then the answer is at least a 2.5. That is realistically the lowest GPA you can have to get into law school.

What did Elle Woods get on her LSAT?

Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.

Is a 136 LSAT bad?

As previously stated, the score range for any LSAT exam is 120 to 180, but the average score is about 150. However, most of the top ten law schools require a candidate to have scored at least 165 on the LSAT.

Will a 180 LSAT get you in anywhere?

LSAT takers can score anywhere from 120 to 180. With that big of a range, what kind of score should you aim for? Realistically, you should try to get a score of at least 150. That's the score that will get you into any accredited law school.

What was Obama's LSAT score?

The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.

What is a poor LSAT score?

A 144-145 is generally considered to be the lowest acceptable score to attend law school. The median LSAT score is around 151-152, so 144-145 is significantly lower than this. As such, the majority of law schools will not accept scores below this.

Has anyone gotten a 180 on the LSAT?

He worked his way up to a perfect 180 LSAT score on a mock LSAT exam, 18 points higher than his diagnostic exam prior to ScoreItUp's course! Even more importantly, Spencer's actual LSAT score was better than 99 percent of test-takers sitting for the exam!