After Starting His JD at Fifteen, Eighteen-Year-Old Loyola Law Student Graduates in May

Thousands of teenage students will walk across the stage at commencement ceremonies around the country in the next few weeks. Most will be getting their high school diplomas. But 18-year-old James “Jimmy” Chilimigras will be earning a different degree: his juris doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

The oldest of seven children, Jimmy is a Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, native who began his law school journey after finishing high school at age 12 and graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting by 15. He’s widely considered to be the world’s youngest Certified Public Accountant and is projected to be the youngest person to graduate from a law school in Louisiana.

“Starting at Loyola, I had no idea what to expect,” Jimmy said as he reflected on his time at law school. “Faculty and fellow students go out of their way here to welcome and embrace everyone. This atmosphere builds character so the intense academia doesn’t overwhelm you or cause burnout. The classes are difficult but fair. The culture is welcoming but rigorous. It’s like a tough-love friend who's uncompromising about you becoming the best version of yourself.”

To say that Jimmy has excelled in law school would be a serious understatement. He’s in the top two percent of his class, has earned the top grade in over 40 percent of his classes, and is projected to graduate summa cum laude. As a 1L, Jimmy finished in the top four of oralists in his moot court class. In addition to succeeding academically, he has held a number of leadership roles during his time in law school, including as a member of the Loyola Law Review, as a coach and member of the school’s award-winning ABA National Moot Court Team, and many more. 

He’s worked as a teaching assistant and as a student ambassador, sharing wisdom and tips with potential students who are sometimes several years older than him. During his 3L year, Jimmy was sworn in to practice law in Louisiana as a Rule XX Student Practitioner in Loyola’s Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic, representing clients in immigration matters.

“Jimmy has made an extraordinary impact on our school,” Dean Madeleine Landrieu said. “He’s kind, smart, and exudes a level of maturity that belies his age. His classmates have cared for and protected him, and they have learned from and admired him. Jimmy’s grandfather – a graduate of Detroit Mercy Law, another Jesuit law school – drove Jimmy to school for his last exam and expressed his gratitude to us for taking care of Jimmy over the past few years. He shared that he and his family found at Loyola the supportive, values-based, and rigorous legal education they were looking for. I assured him that we were the beneficiaries of Jimmy's presence among us.”

When he graduates, Jimmy will be earning five certificates of concentration: taxation law, social justice, immigration and citizenship law, international legal studies, and technology and entrepreneurship. He’s believed to be the only Loyola student to earn certificates in four or more law concentrations.

After graduating on May 9, Jimmy will move to Chicago to pursue his LLM in taxation at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, marking the first time he’s lived away from home. He’ll earn his fourth degree before he turns 20, and Loyola will always hold a special place in his heart.

“To many students, including me, Loyola is most memorable for its people,” Jimmy said. “The people are Loyola. The school has this unique culture, and the strong relationships formed here, both professional and personal, are honestly priceless.”