The Youngest Person To Ever Graduate From An American Law School

He was a child prodigy who loved the law.

Stephen A. Baccus

Answer: Stephen A. Baccus was the tender age of 16 when he graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 1986. Baccus passed the Florida bar exam on his 17th birthday, but later challenged the constitutionality of a New York bar rule which required that candidates for the state bar be at least 21 years old, and have entered law school no earlier than the age of 18. Baccus received a partial victory, and the law school entry-age requirement was struck down. Seven years later, he earned a doctorate in neuroscience, and Baccus now works as an associate professor of neurobiology.


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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