More middle-aged Vietnamese are going back to school and starting a second career. Nguyen Anh Van, from Dong Nai, was once an army lieutenant colonel. His job was secure, but he felt he had chosen the wrong path. In 2006, work as a lay assessor at a military court sparked his interest in law. He studied alongside his duties and earned a law degree in 2014.
In 2021, after 28 years in uniform, he applied for early retirement. He decided never to touch his pension, saving it all for his two children. To pay for a 12-month legal training course and a one-year apprenticeship, he drove a motorbike taxi and delivered packages. He passed the bar exam, which 60 to 70 percent of candidates fail. In late 2025, he joined a law firm in Bien Hoa, where he also regularly defends disadvantaged clients for free.