Woman, 79, Finishes Law School, Lands 1st Job in Practice
At a time in life when many attorneys have either retired or are putting the brakes on their careers, Alice Thomas is revving hers up.
Now 79, she completed her course work at McGeorge School of Law in December and has already lined up a job working with elder law issues at a Reno, Nev., firm, reports the Sacramento Bee.
That should help her start making a dent in the $70,000 of student loans she racked up pursuing her dream of becoming an attorney and taking a “nibble” at some of the world’s injustices. She will be at least 80 by the time she passes the bar exam, which she expects to take either in California or Nevada in July.
Significantly older than all of her fellow students and all but one of her professors, Thomas struggled to contend with the demands of law school while also caring for a longtime companion with Alzheimer’s.
“Most of the time, the other students acted like I wasn’t even alive. Some of them asked if I was really serious,” she tells the newspaper. “I told them I could take a first-class trip around the world and not spend as much money and not have to work as hard.”
Hat tip: Above the Law.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Law Student, 77, Looks Forward to Practicing in California”
