What happened
The German news site t-online reported the story at the start of 2023 under a straightforward headline: a fourteen-year-old German is beginning law studies in New York. The sequence behind it is compressed even by the standards of early-entry cases.
High school completed with top grades at twelve. A history degree at Pace University begun at thirteen, in 2021, which the report said he could finish in the coming year. And then, in early January 2023 at fourteen, entry to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University's law school in White Plains, New York. Law is a graduate degree in the United States, normally entered after a completed bachelor's, which is what makes the overlap remarkable.
The record, as the university states it
The claim in the coverage is narrow and attributed, which makes it stronger than most. According to a school spokesperson, he is the youngest student ever to begin a graduate law programme at that institution. That is a statement about one law school's own history, not about the United States or the world.
Narrow claims of that kind are the ones worth repeating. American law schools admit through the Law School Admission Council process and are accredited by the American Bar Association; none of them publishes a national youngest-entrant table, so an institution's statement about its own records is the most that can be verified.
What his father says
His father, Bardia Gharib, gave the only quotation in the coverage, and it is the standard corrective a parent in this position offers. His son has a gift for learning, he said, but is otherwise perfectly normal, and a rascal.
His mother is not named in the article. Neither is any school, tutor or programme through which the acceleration was arranged, and Shahab himself is not quoted. The German connection that gives the story its angle in t-online is his birth in Bruchsal; the family has lived in Florida since he was small.
What is documented, and what is not
Firm: birth in Bruchsal, Baden-Wurttemberg; the move to Florida in early childhood; high school completed with top grades at twelve; a history degree at Pace University begun at thirteen in 2021; entry to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in early January 2023 at fourteen; and the spokesperson's statement that he was the youngest ever to begin a graduate law programme there.
Not documented in these sources: his exact date of birth, so the birth year here is an approximation; whether he completed the history degree; his mother's name; how the acceleration was arranged; and what he wants to do with a law qualification. Nothing here follows him past the start of 2023, so whether he is still enrolled, and whether he could be admitted to a bar at his age, are open questions in this material.
Why law school is a harder case than a degree
Early university entry is well established: distance courses, part-time enrolment and dual-credit schemes all make it administratively possible for a young teenager to take degree-level classes. Professional school is different in kind. A law degree is vocational, oriented toward admission to a bar that sets its own age and character requirements, and its teaching method depends on adversarial argument between students.
That is why one law school's statement about its own youngest entrant carries weight. It is not describing a child sitting an examination early; it is describing an institution deciding that a fourteen-year-old could be admitted to a professional training programme designed for graduates. The German and English-language coverage treated it as a curiosity. The more interesting question, unanswered in this material, is what the qualification will be worth to him before he is old enough to use it.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christiana Imafidon | United Kingdom | Studying at Durham University at eleven | Age 0 |
| Shahab Gharib | Germany | High school at twelve, a university degree course at thirteen, law school | Age 12 |
| Viemens Bamfo | Ghana | Admitted to the University of Ghana at 12 (2019) | Age 12 |
| Bastian Eichenberger | Switzerland | The University of Freiburg's youngest student, at 14 (2014) | Age 14 |
| Shania Muhammad | United States | Langston University's youngest graduate, at 15 | Age 15 |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- Born in Bruchsal, Baden-Wurttemberg; moved to Florida as a small child
- Completed high school with top grades at twelve
- Began a history degree at Pace University at thirteen, in 2021
- Started at Pace's Elisabeth Haub School of Law in early January 2023 at fourteen, described by a school spokesperson as the youngest ever to begin a graduate law programme there
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- His date of birth is not published; the birth year here is inferred
- Whether he completed the history degree is not established
- His mother is not named and he is not quoted himself
- Nothing documents his progress, plans or bar eligibility after January 2023
Questions people ask about Shahab Gharib
How old is Shahab Gharib?
He was fourteen in January 2023. No source used here gives his date of birth, so the birth year on this page is approximate.
What did Shahab Gharib do?
He finished high school at twelve, began a history degree at Pace University at thirteen, and started at Pace's Elisabeth Haub School of Law at fourteen in January 2023.
Is he the youngest law student ever?
A school spokesperson said he is the youngest student ever to begin a graduate law programme at that institution. That is a claim about one law school's own history, not a national or world record.
Where is Shahab Gharib from?
He was born in Bruchsal in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, and moved to Florida with his parents as a small child.
Who are his parents?
His father is Bardia Gharib, who said his son has a gift for learning but is otherwise perfectly normal, and a rascal. His mother is not named in the coverage.
Did he finish his bachelor's degree?
Not established here. The report said he had begun a history degree in 2021 and could finish it in the coming year.
Where is Shahab Gharib now?
Not documented. Neither source used here follows him beyond the start of 2023.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Shahab’s story?
At what age did Shahab Gharib start law school?
Which law school did he enter?
Where was he born?
Sources
- Wunderkind: 14-jahriger Deutscher beginnt Jura-Studium in New York — t-online, 2023-01-01
- Wunderkinder: Die jungsten Studenten Deutschlands und auf der Welt — Uniturm
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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