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Re(1): how to get recommendation

Posted on December 21, 2001 at 10:21:26 AM by George Pappas

Dear Vivek,

So pleased to hear from you! Congratulations on your outstanding achievement.

You will face obstacles in terms of getting a recommendation from an academic; however, people will realize that you did not attend class. Don't let this get in your way. You can easily obtain references from colleagues in the business world, and people that have known you in a professional way. If people want to assess the quality of your work, I suggest you write a paper or two on a legal issue, with complete footnotes, and even try and get the paper published. You can certainly submit your paper for publication here to The Malet Street Gazette.

As for pupilage, you will face hurdles because of your age. In the US, there is a huge age bias against people over 35 in the legal world. Law firms want to hire young students in their 20's and early 30's and work them to death. Older students bring credentials that younger graduates don't have, and many hiring managers are threatened by this. Still, you can still find a place with a firm, but you must start now to find which ones will value your experience and legal education.

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

George Pappas

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