I always loved IT work, but not all the politics that came with it. Politics come with every job, but my issue with the IT field is that it is very ageist. When you get older, say over 50, you lose your marketability in the field. You can still work if you keep your skills up, but your selection of jobs becomes much more mediocre.

This isn't true in other fields. Age is considered a plus in the legal field. Lawyers can work in the field for as long as they live providing they become a partner in a firm or an expert witness, consultant, etc. A professional occupation like law, accounting or healthcare retains its viability. Your breadth of knowledge is considered a huge plus no matter your age.

Those professions have licenses and that really is the difference between IT and professional fields. IT has certifications that end up meaning nothing as time goes by but professional licenses maintain their viability.

The instructor in your law class did that student a favor. The law field is a real rat race and you burn out quick. Even if there is the possibility of job longevity in law, the field is too political and you likely won't be doing anything but grunt work.