An article in Yale Daily News on Tuesday featured a number of “second-career” students who are relatively unconcerned with competing with their peers for employment opportunities.
Though the students are relying on the reputation of Yale Law School, and are more concerned with the overall job market, their confidence indicates a lack of employable stigma associated with relatively older students.
For instance, a 28-year-old 1L relayed that some firms might worry about priorities for a new hire with a family, or that an older associate might not fit into a firm’s promotion scheme. However, this same student also indicated that firms could value the maturity and work ethic of an older law graduate.
The article also quoted a spokesman for an international firm, who spoke positively of older law graduates.
“I think that law firms are looking for people with a diversity of experiences, and typically the older applicants have business or professional experience that benefits them in their new legal career,” said the spokesman to the paper.
A representative from YLS admissions also spoke of valuing diverse experiences among applicants. Approximately one-third of the Law School’s students matriculate more than two years after completing their undergraduate studies.
