Prospective lawyers must undertake a series of steps to practice law,
including completion of
undergraduate and graduate degrees, examinations
and licensing processes. Prior to embarking in this journey, those
interested should ask themselves why they want to become a lawyer and if
they are willing to commit several years to studying law in order to do
so. For those who answer affirmatively, the following guide outlines
the various academic, skill building, and licensing steps required to
begin a career practicing law.
Steps to Becoming an Lawyer
1-Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Program
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum educational requirement for admission
to law school. No singular field of study is recommended by the
American Bar Association at this level. In fact, the ABA notes that
students gain admission to law school from nearly every area of study,
ranging from political science to mathematics. Common undergraduate
majors for prelaw students include English, political science,
economics, business, philosophy, and journalism.
2-Pass the Law School Admission Test
Along with an undergraduate degree, the Law
School Admission Test (LSAT) is a core component of the law school
admissions process. Admissions officers use scores from the LSAT as an
objective measure to assess the knowledge and quality of applicants. The
examination includes five multiple-choice question sections and an
unscored writing sample. The LSAT measures candidates’ skills in
critical areas of future legal work, including reading comprehension,
information management, analysis and critical thinking, reasoning, and
argumentation.
3-Identify Law Schools and Complete Applications
After finishing an undergraduate degree, some
students choose to forego further education, while others gain
professional experience in other fields prior to enrolling in law
school. Regardless of the timing, prospective students should only
consider law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. In
addition to overall GPA, undergraduate coursework, and LSAT scores,
other admission factors may include community service, organizational
affiliations, and recommendation letters from educators, alumni or legal
professionals. The Law School Admissions Council is a great resource
for students in the research phase of the law school application
process.
4-Earn a Juris Doctor Degree
The Juris Doctor (JD) is the nationally
recognized degree for practicing law in the United States and is
currently offered by 205 ABA-accredited law schools. Prospective
students should have knowledge of the faculty, areas of study, tuition,
and curriculum prior to applying. There are numerous specialties within
legal practice and students should select a program that offers a
focused curriculum in their area of interest. For example, students may
choose to concentrate in areas of real estate, property, criminal,
environmental, tax, or family law. Typically students can complete their
Juris Doctor in three years of full-time study.
5-Pass the Bar Examination
Most states require lawyers to graduate from
an ABA-approved law school and pass the state bar examination prior to
qualifying in that state. Although each state sets its own testing
guidelines, the bar exam is commonly a two day process: day one is spent
completing the Multistate Bar Examination while day two focuses on
writing examinations covering various legal matters. In addition to the
bar examination, the state board of bar examiners also consider the
candidate’s educational background, competence, character, and ability
to represent others in legal matters prior to offering full legal
licensure.
6-Advance Your Career
There are many opportunities for lawyers to
advance their careers. Freshman lawyers generally start out as
associates, working closely with seasoned lawyers to hone their craft.
After several years of successful practice, attorneys may rise to become
partners in a firm while others may choose to open their own law
office. Some may move beyond practicing law and become a judge or shift
into public positions. Lawyers may also pursue further education at both
the master’s and doctoral levels. The Master of Law (LLM) and Doctor of
Philosophy (PhD) are two common choices for lawyers interested in
careers involving research and academic scholarship.