Deciding to start law school at the age of 45 took some guts, so for Earl Richardson it’s a pleasure arriving at his torts class at Kansas University and finding his daughter, Aimee, in the next chair.

“We just have one class together, so her exposure to embarrassment is somewhat limited,” said Richardson, a longtime journalist-photographer, who continues to freelance part-time.

His daughter, Aimee, 23, said she had no qualms attending law school with her father.

“I never really thought it would be weird,” she said. “I think if I had a different set of parents it would weird me out a little, or I’d be nervous about it, but I think I have a pretty unique relationship with both my parents.”

Two years ago, Earl Richardson decided after nearly 20 years of working for daily newspapers, including the Law-rence Journal-World, that it was time to consider expanding his career options.

Kansas University first-year law students Earl Richardson and his daughter, Aimee Richardson, review their notes Tuesday afternoon at the law school. They say attending school together has been a relatively easy experience for them, as they share notes and engage in father-daughter competition with classwork.

A cousin, who is the same age as Richardson, recently started law school at Syracuse University and urged Richardson to do the same.

Richardson had always been interested in the judicial system and even looked forward to jury duty. He said his interest in the law increased because, as a photographer, he also became interested in legal issues concerning ownership of intellectual property and copyright.

So, after having not taken any test more challenging than the open-book driver’s license test since his college graduation in 1983, Richardson took the test to get into law school.

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A couple of months later, Aimee, who graduated in May from KU, also expressed interest in going to law school. She said she needed a “backup plan.”

Now the two are sometimes studying together and helping each other in class – and eagerly awaiting for mid-December, when finals will be over.