while most 18-year-olds were preparing for high school graduation, James “Jimmy” Chilimigras was walking across the stage at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Graduating summa cum laude, he has solidified his place as one of the youngest law school graduates in modern history.
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Chilimigras’s path to a J.D. was defined by a series of “youngest-ever” milestones:
- High School: Completed at age 12.
- Higher Ed: Earned a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting by age 14.
- CPA Exam: Became the youngest person in the U.S. to pass the CPA exam at 15.
- The LSAT: Scored a 174 (top 1% globally) before enrolling in law school at 15.
Academic Impact
At Loyola, Jimmy didn’t just blend in; he set a new bar for achievement. Beyond ranking in the top 2% of his class, he completed five separate certificates of concentration—ranging from Tax Law to Immigration and Social Justice—a feat the university noted was unprecedented in its 112-year history.
Where He Ranks: Youngest Law Graduates
Jimmy joins an elite group of “prodigy” lawyers who finished their degrees before they were old enough to buy a drink:
| Name | Age | School | Notable Fact |
| Stephen Baccus | 16 | Univ. of Miami | Graduated in 1986; the youngest on record. |
| Gabrielle Turnquest | 17 | Univ. of Law (UK) | Youngest person called to the Bar in England/Wales. |
| Jimmy Chilimigras | 18 | Loyola New Orleans | Earned 5 certificates of concentration simultaneously. |
| Kathleen Holtz | 18 | UCLA | Became a practicing attorney in California at age 18. |
The Next Challenge
The law degree is in hand, but the professional journey has a unique hurdle: Mississippi law requires bar applicants to be at least 21 years old. To keep moving forward, Jimmy plans to sit for the Uniform Bar Exam this summer.
His immediate future involves heading to Chicago, where he will attend Northwestern University to earn an LLM in taxation, with the ultimate goal of becoming the premier tax attorney in the country.
