Will graduating in 3 years hurt my chances for law school?

[sallyawp]

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I doubt law firm hiring partners are so short-sighted as to look at the applicant’s date of birth and say “Let’s not hire him, he’s 9 months younger than the other candidates. He MUST be less mature.” In the long run, I would think it makes zero difference to clients whether someone’s 30 or 31. They just want the work done right. They couldn’t care less if it’s a high school student doing it or a senior partner with 50 years experience in the business.

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<p>If I had a dime for every time a hiring committee at a law firm (in a room in which I sat) questioned an applicant’s maturity based upon a rush to graduate from college or a lack of real world experience, I would be so wealthy that I wouldn’t have to work anymore.</p>

<p>It is not the difference in age that matters, but rather the time to experience things away from living under mom and dad’s roof that does. That’s why work experience and internships, particularly during the school year, even if part time, are looked upon so favorably by potential law firm employers. Law firms need some indication that an applicant is not just book smart. They need some evidence that the applicant can function in the real world, with real responsibilities that cannot be influenced by extra credit projects. If you graduate early and have had less time to develop skills outside of achieving A’s in the classroom, you do yourself a disservice. </p>

<p>Oh, and yes, clients DO, in fact, care whether the work for which they are paying a substantial amount of money is done by a high school student or a senior partner with 50 years of experience. Why? Because experience matters – a lot.</p>