We had one and assumed he was there to rub up against drunk teens when they were at their most vulnerable 

yes

When I myself did an undergrad degree in my mid thirties there was a guy on it who was in his sixties.

weird cos law is quite a good second career

I’ve not known many trainees over 40, but plenty in their thirties

I would. What an amazing asset to have. I would put him in a team with a strong lawyer with experience in the field and use him to network and open doors. 

agreed

Everyone wants to talk to a 70yo trainee. A KKR partner on his way to close a career-defining buyout would stop to make the acquaintance of a 70 year old trainee. 

In fact the only people who wouldn’t want to know a 70year old trainee might be other trainees. But fook them, the antsy little shites.

I'm aiming to be a consultant at 95

Working full time

Dispensing wisdom to impressionable young trainees 

At 65 years old and with one's life fooked, it's too late to join the professions. 'Break bad' instead or take up bootlegging.

Not at Uni, but a few on the LPC as was.  Think the oldest person in my 4batch trainee time (i.e. the four intake spread over two years) was about 48.  He famously didn't get kept on because after the closing meeting lash up at 7 am (following 4 days or so without sleep) he went back to his office to get his kit and yacked all over the papers on his supervisor's desk.  Yes, nerds, this was the place the supervisor had put the signed pages for safe keeping.

Laz, pls verify. (it wasn't laz.)

For my law degree there was one guy in his late 50s early 60s, he sat right at the front in every lecture, asked stupid questions and I had the misfortune of him being in one seminar group with him and he always made it overrun.

there were a couple of men in there early 30s who did enjoy the you nubile law students 

People who prolong break out/tutorials (and whatever they call them in oxford - irrumatio mio or some such) will be first against the wall.  

I think when I get to that sort of age I’ll just gift anything I have to my kids or something and then just wander around making absurd claims about my competence as a ‘consultant’.

if something goes massively wrong I’ll probably be dead before the litigation finishes

There were a couple on my GDL and more on the LPC and they, to a (yes) man fitted the description in pheobe’s post

I have interviewed some older bods for fairly junior positions and they were cvnts as well. 

I had a lady who was 52 or 53 when I did the LPC. She was American. Don't know what happened to her but she was very diligent and old school details person. 

Verified, wango. Did he play softball with us? He was probably the least mature trainee I knew. Looked him up a good few years ago and he was working (as a lawyer) in Milton Keynes.

p.s. as a mature undergrad in lectures and tutorials I always kept my head down

I'd have to say that most of the older starters I've worked with have been ok

There were two in my year - almost diametrically opposed in their attitude and welcomeness. Both in late-50s so not quite meeting the 65 criteria.

The first was a failed taxi driver (not sure how you fail at that) but generally thought he was smarter than everyone else and sat at the front of lectures asking dumb questions and made tutorials overrun, so just like Phoebe's. Clearly he was trying to compensate for his insecurities in being a washed up old guy surrounded by a bunch of 20 year olds. Everyone thought he was a twunt.

The second had been a successful software consultant in the 80s and 90s, kids grown up and decided to do something new. He was an active member in clubs etc and generally did what everyone wishes they did at uni in retrospect, being as fully involved in student life as possible. Everyone liked him because he was just a sensible guy who didn't pretend he was better/more experienced at life than everyone else. I wasn't close to him, but LinkedIn shows he got a training contract at a well known regional practice. Moved up to the ranks to senior associate over the course of about 7 years. Retired, and has decided to go back and do another degree in Physics in order to become a teacher next. Rather inspiring stuff really. 

+1 for the weird guy asking stupid questions. Ours was about 45 or so. Lecturers eventually banned him from asking things as his questions were so inane.

He also claimed he was being monitored by the BBC, who maintained a file on him for inexplicable reasons.

Me and the mrs want to do a degree in e.g Poetry or fine art in a place like Bologna when the kids leave home

not quite the same though I grant you

There was one that fitted Phoebe's description almost exactly on my law degree as well. Also a very annoying older bird in her mid to late 30s. The two of them always asked the most questions.

How old is too old to do a training contract anyway...? asking for a friend.

what do you mean?

Tangent when I did what was then the BVC , there were a couple of consultant/registrar doctors in their late 40s, one teacher, and a couple of accountants again all in their 40s

they appear to be doing very well Drs at leading clin/ prof neg sets ,teacher at a top public set , and the accountants at top commercial sets 

Probably 

Tangent unless I have misunderstood you these chaps I mentioned started at the bottom ?

i imagine it would be tricky if you are a ten year plus qualified solicitor doing pupilage, all those insecure tenants at the 5-15 years call range thinking you will hoover up their work?

I had an old guy in the class - he randomly called two of my female friends 'schlaaags' I think he thought he was being cool. Not what you'd expect from the tutor if im honest