Exceptionally bitter?

A little anonymous discussion on the Internet labels Old Guy "an exceptionally bitter 40-year-old T14 law student". The person who started the discussion refers to OTLSS as

mostly the bitter ranting of a blogger ("Old Guy") who attempted to go to law school over 30: despite going to a top-ranked school and securing a federal clerkship, he seemingly had so much trouble securing gainful employment that it left him profoundly contemptuous of all forms of legal education. In his worldview, going to law school is the very worst thing you can do: law schools, even many T20s, are predatory "toilets" that exploit naive students with dreams. His writing is crisp, socially progressive, and yet sneeringly elitist somehow. ¶ Reading this blog, he's so over-the-top in his bitterness that it almost discredits him a bit.

A few other people chime in triumphantly with reports of well-paying jobs obtained on the strength of a JD from some inferior law school, often with poor grades to match:

And then There is me, getting a 6 figure job offer after graduating from a T-30-50 school (depending on the year) getting average grades all because the partner ran into my LinkedIn profile and emailed me asking if I wanted to apply.

Same but from a T-150 (b-50; aka bottom 50) with grades in the bottom 25%. Work hard and don’t be insufferable, you’ll be fine.

I went to a non-elite law school, had less than stellar grades, needed to take a 1 year break due to family stuff, graduated without employment, still eventually ended up working at a great firm, and now have a great career. It is possible, you may just need to hustle a bit harder than others.

Some blame or disparage Old Guy:

Reading his blog, you see why he's had trouble getting a job.

If you have work experience, went to a top school and clerked and you cannot get a good job, that is 100% on you lol

Judging by his writing style and blog content, he’s probably a perpetually negative asshole. Those kind of people don’t do well in any industry.

If you go to a T14 and have a federal clerkship and then cannot find a job, you or your expectations, are almost certainly the problem 

Why does he always write in third person. This guy seems like a drip. Every story has a “that definitely happened” energy to it. I don’t know how anyone can read it and believe they’re getting the whole story.

Low self esteem issue. Sometimes, what passes for “elitism” is a manifestation of low self esteem. No one with a law degree should complain about unemployment. Graduating from law school, even if it’s from Oxford or Cambridge, and expecting that someone will hand you your dream job is naïve. Part of intellectual maturity is the ability to have plans A,B, and C, before even contemplating law school. ¶ The question is always what are you willing to do to be successful with your legal education, even if you have to defer your immediate financial expectations? ¶ If you’re lucky to get your dream job immediately after law school, splendid. If not, it means you have to apply the critical thinking skills you learned in law school to make adjustments and pave your own way. ¶ It’s important to understand that not everyone graduating from law school will start off making a six-figure salary. That’s part of the intellectual maturity required to face reality. Some, including those who have achieved their professional goals, never achieve that maturity and it manifests itself in different ways. . . .

Others take a contrary view:

I wouldn’t pay sticker to go to any law school in America (unless you are fully committed to PI and they have some loan forgiveness program that you fully understand)

The 30-35 year olds of my T14 were in higher demand than the 20 year olds, but it dropped off sharply. No over-35 year old in my class of 330 found Biglaw employment and no over-40 year old found any type of law firm employment. ¶ This was at a T14, I doubt it gets better outside of that. Anyone who will graduate over 35 should be prepared for reality.

Yes if you want a big law job and don't have connections you absolutely need to go to a top law school and a bunch of other things (including age) will absolutely disqualify you. But if you want to hang out your own shingle or work as a PD or DA in an average jurisdiction any law degree will do.

Yeah I think law practice is so much about perceived years of experience that being a first-year associate at age 40 really works against you.

[Answering the question of why a big law firm would hire a 40-year-old:] They're like 20 years from retirement, likely set in their ways, and unlikely to want to listen to people either their age or younger who may be in positions above them.

Rather than responding myself, I shall open this topic for your views.