If you are at a first or second tier law school you are all set.
At 47?! Even if he graduated from Harvard Law, there isn't a third-rate firm that would hire him. So, if he has no options besides private practice, what difference does it make?
It's retarded to go to law school at 47, honestly. Law is one of those professions where you have to get into a good firm
and grind for a decade before you start making really decent money. Otherwise it's just not worth it.