John VanBuskirk was the oldest law school graduate in 2018, completing his degree at the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law at the age of 71.
VanBuskirk, who served for 25 years in the Army, logged 800 hours of pro bono work while in law school, volunteering at clinics with the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program and pro bono clinics.
The Texan said retirement was never part of his plan.
“I guess it falls under the category of different strokes for different folks,” VanBuskirk told a local TV news station. He said some of his fellow officers in the military couldn’t wait to go fishing once they hit retirement. “First of all, if I’m going to get up at four in the morning, it will not be for fishing. It will be for something else. Second of all, it would drive me just nuts. It would just drive me absolutely batty to sit around and do nothing.”
He graduated with a 3.21 GPA, making the Dean’s List four times, earned two statewide awards for his pro bono work. To log that impressive amount of pro bono work, he got up at 3 a.m. every morning to ensure he had time to study, go to class and work.
During the summer, he held internships with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, the 191st District Court, and the Wake County Public Defender’s Office in Raleigh, N.C.
