A Quora Question: "Is it possible to start law school at 60 years old in order to become a lawyer? Would I still have a place and a decent career?"

Geez Louise, what an absolutely stupid question.

NO, it isn't.

Well, more accurately, you can probably gain admittance to law school, spend three years in your early old age/late middle age studying the law, and graduate, and then come out unwanted, and for good reason.

I did post a reply:

So many rosy answers to this question.

In reality, practicing law is a hard job and even after you graduate with a law degree, you won’t know how to practice law. It takes a good 5 to 10 years to become competent at it. Most law firms aren’t going to want to invest in somebody whose career will be shortened by mortality if nothing else.

Added to that, as a lawyer who is now the age that you are asking about, I’ve watched plenty of lawyers of excellent skills whose abilities dropped off like a rock when they hit their 60s. Some became almost painful to watch, and they’d practiced for years.

Finally, there are a limited number of jobs in the field, and positions in law school. By age 60, you’ve had your career and the bulk of your life, whatever it may be, and will be taking a spot from somebody who hasn’t and who is trying to build their life. So, is it possible? Sure, it’s possible. Is it likely, probably not, or at least not the way that you imagine it. And while you're working at that, you're taking something from somebody younger.

This brings up two things.

Time really does advance well beyond our ability to appreciate it.  I'm 60, and as a mule auction this past weekend doped slapped me into admitting, I've shot my bolt, career wise.  In my 20s I still could have learned to ride like those guys, maybe in my 30s.  In my 60s?  No way.  

I've posted on this before, but at some point you are just committed, one way or another.  Life may allow second chances, but it doesn't hold back the hands of the clock.  If you are a 60-year-old lawyer with 30 years of experience, that's what you are.  If you are a 60-year-old lawyer with 30 years of experience who wishes that he could be on horseback every day, well too @#$#@#$ bad for you.  You aren't, and you aren't going to be.  

If you are a 60-year-old middle management white collar worker who has watched a pile of legal dramas over the past 40 years and wished you had become a lawyer, well, wake up.  You aren't going to be one and the profession doesn't want you.

Law school at 60?  Get real.  Your mind isn't what it once was.  Your body isn't either.  A big problem in the law right now is that older lawyers don't realize this and keep on keeping on.