A 15-year-old prodigy is set to become the youngest law school graduate

James “Jimmy” Chilimigras, a 15-year-old boy from Mississippi, is set to start law school this year and has the opportunity to become one of the youngest people in history to obtain a Juris Doctorate Degree. In 2020, at the age of 14, Jimmy took the law school entrance exam and scored 174, the highest in his home state of Mississippi as well as Alabama and Louisiana. In an interview with WLOX, a news station that covers Bay St Louis, Mississippi, Jimmy revealed that he is giving himself until May to choose which law school he will attend. However, he expressed his excitement about starting law school in person in August. Law school in the United States typically takes three years to complete. If Jimmy finishes his studies within that time frame, he will be one of the youngest law school graduates in the world.

Oldest.org, a history and culture website, has compiled a list of the youngest law school graduates in the world. According to their list, the eighth-youngest law school graduate is Kelly Yang from China, who finished at Harvard University in 2005 at the age of 20. The youngest known law school graduate is Stephen Baccus from Florida, who completed his studies at the University of Miami at the age of 16 in 1986. Some of the individuals on Oldest.org’s list did not pursue careers as attorneys. For example, Yang became a South China Morning Post columnist, and Baccus decided to work as a neurobiology professor.

Jimmy’s parents, John and Erin Chilimigras, expressed to WLOX that they realized early on that their son was highly intelligent. Jimmy spoke in full sentences at the age of two, and he received his high school diploma from St John Paul the Great high school in Bay St Louis at the age of 12. According to John Chilimigras, Jimmy struggled with reading comprehension, despite his interest in reading. However, with the help of outside professionals, they were able to diagnose and work through a plan to help Jimmy improve.

Moreover, in an interview with WLOX, Jimmy explained that his interest in learning and challenging himself is what motivated him to pursue law school at such a young age. He credited his parents for keeping him challenged and encouraging his passion for learning. Now, he is all set to start a new journey.