18-year-old Poised to Pass the Bar
[Guest post by DRJ]
If eighteen-year-old Kathleen Holtz passes the California bar exam, and she’s confident she did, she’ll be the youngest licensed lawyer in California and perhaps the nation.
From the LA Times:
“When results of the most recent California bar exam are released next month, the 18-year-old law school grad will be too young to drink legally. And, as the youngest practicing attorney in California — if not the nation — Holtz is loath to break the law.
At an age when most of her peers are just finishing high school and heading to college, the Whittier native is already punching the clock at a Century City law firm. She has no doubts about acing July’s grueling law exam — the final hurdle to becoming a bona fide lawyer. “I felt the bar exam went very well,” she said.
That kind of bravado can be expected from someone who started college at age 10 and entered law school at 15. Holtz graduated from the UCLA School of Law this year.”
Few of Holtz’s law school classmates were supportive:
“People thought I was 21 or 22,” she said. “But I was 15.” After a month or so, word got out that the class of ’07 had a youngster in its ranks.
When Holtz was found out, some students gave her the cold shoulder. “A select few were supportive — it didn’t change how they reacted to me. Maybe 90% were hostile. They stopped talking to me and were suddenly very condescending,” she said.
But school administrators and her professors stood behind her.”
Holtz also received complimentary words from Eugene Volokh, a UCLA Law professor and noted blogger who graduated from college at age 15, and from the Century City law firm that hired her as an associate.
Her employer’s only problem? Child labor laws. She was only 17 when they recruited her.
— DRJ
Way to go kiddo!!!!
And working with Volokh? That must be cool as hell…
And for shame to those who shunned her. Just because she was smarter than them, that didn’t mean they should be mean to her.
Scott Jacobs (425810) — 10/19/2007 @ 10:29 amGreat educational accomplishment for some one so young, but is it just me or does America/California really needs another lawyer? Well at least she can get a head start on those ambulance chasing adverts on TV. Maybe she can tort target juveniles. I can hear it now. “Hey sk8ter boy. Did you wipe out on that cracked sidewalk. Don’t sign or give any statement to insurance agents untill you call me, Kathleen Holtz. Remember, I’m for the sk8ters”.
Tom (5533ae) — 10/19/2007 @ 10:33 amWhy? If she can’t buy a round, what good is she?
dave (588505) — 10/19/2007 @ 10:36 amDude, she’s YOUNG!… Less likely to have built up a tolerance…
…
I didn’t just say that. Move along… 🙂
Scott Jacobs (425810) — 10/19/2007 @ 10:54 amGood luck to her, but there is no way in hell I’d want a lawyer who had nothing in common with normal people. Not that many biglaw associates do (nor do they really deal with people), but lawyers are supposed to do more than advocate and apply laws… they are to advise, lead, and make sense of all the complications in our lives.
If this girl is socially normal, then that’s great, but otherwise I doubt she has the fitness required to be an attorney. Most folks who went to college this young had a very hard time socializing. Often their parents were domineering influences (who in the hell would give up those wonderful teenage years to be a corporate counsel?).
Anyway, wish the best for this brilliant lady, but I wouldn’t want her help if I had a legal problem.
Dustin (9e390b) — 10/19/2007 @ 11:59 amI’d retain her as my lawyer in a heartbeat.
Scott Jacobs (425810) — 10/19/2007 @ 12:14 pmAnd a babe, at that. Life’s unfair.
Jack (a9896a) — 10/19/2007 @ 12:58 pmWhere are you seeing a pic of her Jack?
Scott Jacobs (425810) — 10/19/2007 @ 1:30 pmLast time I was at UCLA law library, there was nothing but ladies in flannel shirts, crewcuts, weird tattoos and very, very sensible shoes. I was skeered.
dave (588505) — 10/19/2007 @ 2:06 pmMicah Stanley took the bar at age 18 and got his passing results shortly after he turned 19. To see the article on Micah you can go to ffol.com. He is a licensed California attorney at 19. He started law school at 15.
Julie (f4704d) — 10/19/2007 @ 2:12 pmTo read about Micah Stanley go to FFOL.COM and click on bar review then click on testimonials. He is the first one. There was also an article written about him in the law student journal. His older brother Montana is 21 and is taking the bar this February.
Julie (f4704d) — 10/19/2007 @ 2:15 pmDustin #5,
Depends on the problem. Most of the time you should have a dedicated law geek without proportion or perspective as an advocate. Admitedly a different question for a counselor. Just my opinion — your mileage may vary.
nk (6e4f93) — 10/19/2007 @ 2:40 pmHere’s a look at her. She puts paid to blonde jokes…
http://www.latimes.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=kathleen+holtz&target=blendedsearch&first-page-size=5
Tom (d671ab) — 10/19/2007 @ 7:01 pmWhat an amazing young woman.
(…funny, the law firm seemingly hired her before knowing about child labor laws…
“We wondered about child labor laws,” he said. “She was only 17 when we recruited her.”
Dana (dc61c3) — 10/19/2007 @ 7:02 pmI’ll bet thanksgiving is HELL for that kid…
Scott Jacobs (a1de9d) — 10/19/2007 @ 7:12 pmAnd she’s definately a cutie… I wouldn’t mind running up a few “billable hours” with her, if you know what I mean, winkwinknudgenudge…
Honestly though, and all perversion aside, she doesn’t look that young. She looks at least in her early 20’s.
Scott Jacobs (a1de9d) — 10/19/2007 @ 7:14 pm….The lady missed her calling.
She’s able to make herself look mid-twenties when she’s not old enough to buy a six-pack?
Dang. That is SKILL. (I admire brains, but skill…that’s something you can’t always develop.)
Foxfier (290c52) — 10/20/2007 @ 5:10 pm