Q. I have two questions for Sam Tamkin, the attorney who cowrites the “Ask the Lawyer” column with Ilyce Glink. What made you want to become a real estate attorney and do you think being 30 years old is too old to pursue a law degree?

A. When I graduated law school I was hired by a large firm. That firm had a large real estate department. The firm also had a policy of rotating the new associates to determine what area of practice they liked. It turned out I favored real estate over the other practice areas.

As I viewed real estate transactions, I liked being able to help create real estate developments, buildings, and subdivisions where once there was nothing but cornfields or vacant land. I really like that aspect of real estate transactions.

I have to say, 30 isn’t too old to start your law career. In my law school (I went to the University of Illinois law school), there were some classmates who were in their late 30s when they started law school. One woman was even in her forties.

Keep in mind, however, that if you start at age 30, you will graduate at age 33 or 34. At that age, you’d be best off making sure that you have a specific area of practice in mind and that you have developed contacts in that area.

It will certainly help you to know that you may have a job waiting for you when you get out of school or that at least have developed contacts in that practice to receive referrals. Good luck in your career.