Nancy Vinsel wanted to be a lawyer, but raising her kids came first.
Sean Vinsel
Nancy Vinsel put off going to law school until after raising her children.
Vinsel passed the bar on her first try at 53 and landed her dream legal job at a state agency at 64.
She said she now tells people to consider the law as a second career.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nancy Vinsel, a retired lawyer in Florida. Business Insider has verified her identity and background. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
I got married after my sophomore year of college, and my husband and I started having children early. I left school when my first was born, and went back part-time after my second, but I stopped again because juggling school and two kids was too hard. I didn’t finish college until my youngest was in third grade. I was 29.
I attended the University of Louisville and earned my undergraduate degree in history. I’d always wanted to be a librarian or a lawyer. I worked as a librarian and a book vendor while earning a master’s degree in library science from the University of Kentucky. I considered going to law school, but it would take too long, and both of my kids were in their prime years. I didn’t want to miss that.
Later, when I thought I was ready to apply to law school , I conducted informational interviews with a few lawyers, all of whom told me they hated their jobs. This convinced me that I should first get experience working in a law firm, so I went back to the University of Louisville and got an associate degree in paralegal studies.
After graduation, I was hired as a paralegal by one of my instructors, though I ended up doing the work of an associate attorney . That was fine for a while, because I wanted to get experience, and I loved writing complaints. But one day, I looked at my salary and thought, “This is crazy. I need to be rewarded for the work I’m doing.” That’s when I decided to go to law school.
I passed the bar on my first try
I applied to two law schools, and I got into both. It was 2009, and I was 50. At a student open house for one of them, a school official told me that one of the professors thought I was a parent and was annoyed that I was participating. I realized I wasn’t going to fit in here. Most students were right out of college. Since I knew the other school, the University of Louisville, had a tradition of serving adults , I went there.
While a student, I interned at the Kentucky Public Service Commission, a utilities regulator, and worked as a law clerk at two law firms. Throughout this time, I was fortunate to have my husband’s support. He took over nearly every household duty and even built a shelf for my treadmill so I could read cases while I exercised.
After graduation, I passed the bar in Kentucky on my first try. I then got a job at a small law firm doing employment-related litigation and stayed for a few years before striking out on my own .
I named my practice Vinsel Law, and it had three parts: finding clients, managing the firm, and practicing law. I ended up hating it because I didn’t have the time to give my all to each part. Eventually, though, I qualified as a staff attorney at the state agency where I had interned. I loved working there, and when a job opened up, I applied and got it. I was 57.
My work was challenging, and I loved it
Within a few years, I worked my way up to assistant general counsel and, finally, to general counsel. I was 64. I specialized in utility law, a highly technical field that takes several years to master. Literally, every day you’re presented with something unique. It was so challenging. I loved that job.
After about 10 years at the Commission, I decided it was time to retire . I’d created systems that would live beyond me. I was 67, and now I’m 69. It took me about seven months to get used to not working. I still like to stay on top of utility law, and I keep in touch with my former work besties.
Talking to people considering law as a second career has become my schtick. I tell them that law school is competitive, but when I went, I made a point of only competing with myself. My advice is to do the same.
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