Lawyer's Guide

The MPRE, or Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam, is an exam for law students that covers their knowledge and understanding of the professional conduct expected of a lawyer. It takes approximately two hours to complete and includes 60 multiple-choice questions. Passing this exam is a requirement to practice in nearly every state/providence, exceptions including Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.

When it comes to exam prep, some choose to take a Professional Responsibility course before taking the MPRE. Though the course is not a requirement, it can help to create a foundational background for students. This can also simply be done through individual study or through online MPRE courses.

The MPRE can be taken in March, August, or October. In 2020, there are two dates available each month. The dates are as follows:

• March 12/13, 2020 (Registration date February 12, 2020)
• August 11/12, 2020 (Registration date June 25, 2020)
• October 23/28, 2020 (Registration date September 14, 2020)

Depending on the state you plan to practice in, you may have to pass the MPRE before taking the bar. Many law students choose to take the MPRE in the summer before their third year but some will also take it during their third year. There are different advantages depending on when the student decides to take the exam.

The Summer Before Year Three

Taking the MPRE the summer before your third year has a lot of advantages. As such, it is one of the most popular options. If your state requires that you pass the MPRE before taking the bar, taking it earlier rather than later will free up your year to focus on course work and, of course, the bar itself.

Taking the MPRE during the summer also means that you will likely have more time to study. Taking the MPRE in March or October means that you have to be strategic about finding time to study. If taken during the summer break, you can spend time dedicating yourself fully to studying for the MPRE.

Another advantage of taking it early is that you have more opportunities to retake it if you have an unsatisfactory score. You don’t want your time studying for the MPRE to interfere with the bar exam. If you take it in August before your third year, you have a chance to take it again in October, well before you’ll need to start preparing for the bar exam.

If you have failed at your first attempt at the MPRE, don’t be discouraged. This is fairly common. If you took it over the summer, you still have time to revisit some MPRE test tips and find other resources to help you the next time. It’s not uncommon for people to fail this exam once, twice, or even three times. That’s why getting a jump start on it is a good idea. You’re giving yourself some wiggle room.

During Year Three

Another popular option is to take the MPRE early in year three. Try to take the exam in October, because that way you don’t have to worry about it when the bar comes. This is essential if you plan to take the bar in February. Once you get into study time for the bar, you don’t want to add on any commitments or exams that you don’t need to.

Taking the MPRE for the first time in October if you plan to take the bar in February is a little risky though. You only have one chance to pass it. If you do not pass, you’ll have to either take it after the bar (and only if your state allows that) or you’ll have to change when you take the bar.

If you’re taking the bar in July, you still have an opportunity in March to take the MPRE. Even if you are waiting until July, try to take care of the MPRE in October. It’s the same reasoning that’s stated above. If you don’t pass in October, you have another chance to take the MPRE in March. You have one more chance before you have to start worrying about pushing back your bar exam.

After the Bar

Most jurisdictions require that bar exam applicants pass the MPRE before sitting. However, there are some that allow the bar to be taken first. If you choose this option, it’s likely that you’ve taken the MPRE already but haven’t passed. You may not have wanted to push back your bar exam date, so you’ve settled for taking care of the MPRE later.

While this is not an ideal situation, it is, perhaps, a better choice than trying to study for and take the MPRE too close to the bar. The bar exam is one of the most difficult exams that a person can take. It’s best to clear your schedule of all other commitments and distractions so that you can focus yourself on it 100%.

Before deciding that you want to take the MPRE after the bar exam, check the requirements of the jurisdiction in which you will practice. Depending on your state, these requirements can vary widely. Some states will allow you to practice if you pass the MPRE anywhere between two years before or five years after the bar. Other states require that you pass the MPRE somewhere in the year prior to passing the bar.

The option to take the MPRE after the bar is not available to everyone. Make sure that you’ve done the research and prepared yourself properly for the state you want to practice in.

Conclusion

When it comes to planning for the MPRE, the earlier you can get it out of the way, the better. Taking the MPRE earlier allows you some space if you do not pass in the first attempt or two. It also frees up your time to focus on the bar exam later.

Be strategic with your planning. Choose a date around which you will have adequate time to study and prepare yourself. With all the work you put into becoming a lawyer, derailing your whole plan because you underestimated the MPRE would be really unfortunate. Creating and executing your plan early will set you up for success.

Structured Networking is a Must

So that you can ensure a flow of business opportunities it is essential that you undertake plenty of networking both among existing clients and potential ones. You really cannot underestimate the benefit of getting out there and talking to people who may provide you with work or may recommend you to other people. Developing trusting relationships and showing that you understand the issues and struggles of users and buyers, as well as showing that you can provide solutions, is best accomplished by face-to-face contact. This means that the more people you talk with the more opportunities you are creating for your business.

That being said, if you want your networking to reap benefits you need to ensure that it has structure. In simple terms; strategy is everything. You should base this on: “What is it that I am selling and why would this individual be in a better position if they bought it from me?”Don’t just wait for networking opportunities to come to you. Seek them out. Look online for legal websites, forums, and recruitment sites like SSQ Legal Search. Just heading out and dishing out business cards to random people isn’t going to provide the results you are hoping for.

Boast Amazing Interpersonal Skills

When someone makes a great first impression, we don’t tend to forget them: a strong and confident handshake, a friendly smile, an interesting personality and keen personal interest are all factors that contribute to coming away from meeting someone feeling impressed and that you have engaged in something enjoyable. We can also apply this to BD. You don’t get another chance to make a first impression and for people who excel at BD, interpersonal skills are usually one of their strong points, meaning the people they meet with are left with a positive first impression.

Set Up Meetings

When you are networking you have one clear objective and that is to set up a meeting with individuals you think are in a good position to avail of your services. There is not much chance that you will be instructed until you have met with an individual who is in a position to provide you with work. Each marketing effort should have the clear aim of engineering opportunities for you to meet with decision-makers. It is only such formal meetings that provide the chance to fully understand the needs of an individual and propose a way to address them, or if it is a ‘challenger sales model‘, to challenge the client in the way they think by showing them how an aspect of their business could be seen in another light.

Providing A Differentiated Proposition

Many organizations already have a lawyer that they instruct. This means you have the task of displacing the current legal advisor. Hence you should show how you offer benefits that cannot be matched, perhaps a better level of expertise of providing better value for money. If you are not able to show how you excel in such areas it is likely that you are going to be instructed.

Building Up Your Industry Knowledge

If you want to show a potential client how credible you are you will likely need to demonstrate that you understand their business as well as the industry that it falls under. Hence, building up a full and accurate knowledge is a key factor if you want to have effective BD. You can read the industry press (this is easily done via daily online news updates), attend conferences and read reports that all relate to the industry in question.

Make Yourself a Thought Leader

Business developers that are at the top of their game have a deep understanding of the industry and use this to become a thought leader. This means that they can predict future issues that are going to affect their clients and propose solutions, this can often happen before the client even becomes aware of the potential risk and its impact on their business.

Making Yourself an Opportunist

As a final note, whilst it is certainly true that good marketers have strategies and plans, many opportunities come up out of the blue. An opportunist will take full advantage of these. Things such as a change in decision-maker, a client ownership change or a company crisis are all opportunities which can be used to the advantage of a great business developer.

You only get one chance to make a first impression and in the area of law, it’s important to ensure it’s a positive one. Here are some tips on doing so.

#1. Be Positive

People are usually drawn to friendly and positive people because they leave you feeling at ease. This is why it is easier to connect with people close to you when you show a positive attitude in your body language and conversation. When greeting new people, make sure you have a genuine smile on. When having a conversation, try keeping it positive or neutral topics. While it is normal to want to a good moan, the first couple of minutes or hours after meeting someone is not the best time to bring up the negative energy by talking about your problem and grievances.

Try to remember that if you’re in an interview, they already feel positively about you. You’ve followed the top 10 resume writing tips, and they’ve read your resume. They want to know more about you. Answer their questions with a positive attitude.

#2. Body Language

There are studies showing that about 80 percent of communication done is through body language, and this means people are going to get an impression about you before you even start talking. If you want to create a good first impression when meeting new people, try maintaining an “open” body language – like angling the body towards the person you are talking to, uncrossing your legs and arms – this will end up making you look more relaxed, approachable, and open to conversation.

#3. Paying Attention

This can sound obvious, but it is very important when it comes to making a good first impression. It will help you look more interested and engaged in what the person talking to you is trying to say. Instead of coming up with a list of conversations topics or questions you are going to talk about or ask, consider listening to what they are saying then tailor your responses according to the information they have provided you with. You don’t have to gather a lot of information enough to fill Wikipedia, just try to recall the things they have talked about and use their name when talking with them because it is a sign that you are interested in what they are saying and you are paying attention.

#4. Being Unique

If you are interested in making a good first impression, then it can be a good idea to stand out from the rest because you are giving other people something they will remember you for. Instead of choosing conversation topics such as traffic and weather, try revealing something about you that is memorable or unique. If you have a hobby, question, or anecdote that is interesting, find a way of sneaking it into your conversation. You can prepare in advance a story that you can use in sharing this information, but you need to be careful because you need to make it seem unrehearsed and natural.

#5. Asking Questions

Nerves tend to make people start acting in strange ways. There are people whose nervous chatter get triggered when they meet new people, while others will clam up. If you feel anxious when you meet new people, you can deal with such problems by preparing some questions you are going to ask them. This will help you dominate the conversation. People like talking about themselves, and this gives you the chance to win them over because they will like your listening skills and thoughtfulness. This gives you enough time to take a breath and feel comfortable with the conversation. In order to keep the conversation going, use open-ended questions.

#6. Making Eye Contact

Maintaining eye contact when nervous can be a challenge, but if your eyes are all over the room, the other person will think that you are no interested in what they are saying or looking for a way to get away, which will negatively affect the conversation and create a poor first impression. Maintaining eye contact with the other person for a long period of time is also not a good idea because it can be too intense, especially if you don’t know each other well. There is an effective way of maintaining eye contact without seeming uninterested or too intense. The triangle method is one of the best options. This is where you glance from one eye to the other, then to the mouth. Repeat the process over and over again.

#7. Showing Your Sense of Humor

People are drawn to people who are able to see the humor in different situations and able to make them laugh. You don’t have to be a comedian, but keeping the conversation light with smiles and laughter here and there is enough. Cracking a joke can be an effective way of starting up a conversation. The humor you choose should also be appropriate, avoid dark humor because it can easily scare people.

#8. Finding Common Ground

One fact to keep in mind is that you will not always hit it off with everyone you are going to meet, but it always helps when you find some common ground with the other person. Whether it is in the form of a hobby, common interest, mutual acquaintance, or sense of humor, having something in common will go a long way in helping you connect with new people. The conversation will flow better. You should never try feigning common interest because you are desperate to bond with them because they will find out.

#9. Doing Your Homework

If you are going for a business meeting or job interview, make sure you do a little research on the company before going. This will help you enter the room properly prepared. Doing your homework will help you know more about the meeting, and this will help you determine the most appropriate dress code and language. You will be able to make a good first impression when you are armed with knowledge.

#10. Do Not Overthink

While it is a good idea to invest time and effort in preparation, you should not overthink because it can easily end up working against you. If put too much effort in impressing, you can end up seeming inattentive and nervous. You will be distracted from what other person is saying. Give a little thought to your impression then change and start focusing on your immediate environment. No one is going to analyze your behavior as much as you do.

Nobody likes oppression, and without civil rights lawyers, the experience will always be terrible. If you have ever suffered discrimination as a woman or man, you need a civil rights lawyer. A civil rights lawyer is duty bound to protect the people who suffer an infringement of rights or discrimination. Their main concern is to help people resolve problems that concern human rights, discrimination, and equality.

A civil rights lawyer will carry out the necessary research and negotiate for settlements. Also, they will compile relevant legal documents and represent their clients in court. It is also their passion to teach the general public on how they can stop discrimination. However, if you wish to become a civil rights lawyer, you need to develop your educational background. One of the processes is to go through law school. Finally, you need to show commitment to a specific cause or group and get the required experience.

Steps to Become a Civil Rights Lawyer:

• Get your Undergraduate Degree

If you want to apply for law school, it is compulsory to earn a bachelor’s degree. However, students who are applying for law school need to take courses in government, history, public speaking, and economics. A bachelor’s degree in human rights or the government will give you a broad understanding of the field.

• Take the Law School Admissions Test

To get an admission in a law school, get your LSAT scores and submit your transcripts. This exam is necessary since it will be testing your reading skills, critical, and analytical thinking. If you want to succeed, you need to prepare very well for this exam. However, it is taken during the junior year in your undergraduate studies. If you prepare well and your scores are high, you will get admission into a prestigious law school.

Complete your Law School and Graduate

Make sure that you complete the three years course and graduate your Juris Doctor program. The first year courses for this program usually centers on subjects related to basic law. Such subjects are constitutional law, contracts, torts, and property law respectively. Then in the second year of the program, the students have to take elective courses like internship and clinics. Most law schools allow their students to focus on civil rights law as their elective not minding what the students prefer. The elective courses are constitutional law, local government law, immigration and nationality law, disability law, race and law. This is because if you complete them, you will obtain knowledge of the field. Also, if you volunteer to work in civil rights clinic, you will have the necessary experience.

• Pass your Bar Exam

Since you have to gain admission to your state’s bar association before practicing law, you must pass your bar exam. The state’s bar exam is different from state to state, but it takes two days of tests. The test for the first day of the exam consists of the Multistate Bar Examination. This exam focuses on torts and constitutional laws. On the second day of the examination, the students will face the exams which the state will administer. Make sure you prepare very well for these exams. Your readiness will ensure success in the field because if you fail, you cannot practice law.

• Practice Civil Rights Law

When you pass your bar exams and get called to the Bar, make sure that you work as a civil rights lawyer. You can choose private law firms, non-profit organizations, or the government agencies. These are groups that usually need civil rights lawyers.

• Aim higher and Get your Advanced Degree

Lawyers do not need more degree after the Juris Doctor. However, going further to gain more will increase specialty in civil rights law. Many law schools offer LLM degrees {Master of Laws}. Here, they focus on international human rights or human rights. The courses mostly cover a particular part of the law that is beneficial to lawyers in many ways.

Conclusion

After going through this content, you now know what it will take you to become a civil rights lawyer. In summary, you have to get your first bachelor’s degree, take the Law School Admissions Test. Afterwards, graduate from Law School, and pass the State’s Bar exam also. You can then apply to firms that specialize in civil rights.

Have you ever been arrested before?

Come on now, don’t be shy. Admitting you’ve served some jail time doesn’t disqualify you as a human.  In fact, it makes you feel more human. People make mistakes, after all. Some do it unintentionally like sleepy drivers hitting a post or a misguided child doing something criminal just because “someone bad” bribed them with candy. A few others do it with malice, though – for reasons no normal person can comprehend. Still, a crime is a crime. And laws exist to be followed. So, no matter the reason, bad acts beget you jail time.

So, I’ll ask again: Have you ever been arrested before?

I know I have – well, almost. I was taken in as an accomplice for burglary just because I was the roommate of a petty boarding house thief. At the time, the same question keeps circling and circling around my head. Can my luck get any worse? Well, what else can I say? I have been an unlucky guy from the moment I stepped on this Earth up to now (it’s getting better, though). I would always get scolded for toys I didn’t break – thanks to my dearest sister, by the way – and get accused of cheating during exams when all I ever did was help friends out. What a cursed fate, right? But hey, at the end of the day, all’s well that ends well. I’m too old for grudges.

Still, it’s never a fun trip to prison – especially when you have to be detained for more than 24 hours. If you’re lucky, you might even get headlined and your old folks would faint hearing about the news. All sarcasm aside, my case really was lucky. I was proven innocent just after a few interrogations – well, most probably because I was really innocent. But to all my brothers and sisters out there whose charms never seem to work, I feel you.

So, allow me to introduce you to one of the finer solutions to jail time – Bail Bonds.

No. Bail bonds aren’t relatives of James Bond, you doof. It’s basically borrowed get-out-of-jail money. But of course, you knew that – right? More about bail bonds here: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bail-bond.asp.

Most petty crimes are open for bail. This means that after rendering your required detention time or “time out” as others would term it, you can bail your way out of that stinky prison cell. But as you may already have guessed, to pay for a crime – no matter how small – isn’t cheap. Otherwise, crime rates would skyrocket everywhere. Crime penalties are pretty overbearing and not everyone can afford them.

Still, you can’t just stay locked up forever now – can you?

This is where bail bonds come in.

Bail bonds are bonded cash loans offered to people who have been arrested for a certain crime or legal violation that requires bail payment. Bail bonds come in handy for people who are allowed to bail but don’t (currently) have the money to do so. Of course, there will be bonded interest but hey, that’s better than spending another night in jail, right?

Unless, you would very much prefer to take advantage of the free food and lodging.

If you or someone you know is currently entangled with a “legal situation,” you should try and get in contact with a bail bond agency as soon as possible. After all, the sooner you clear the situation up, the sooner you can get back to your usual everyday life. And did I mention you can avoid unwarranted scrutiny and prying this way?

Question is, how do you know which company to trust?

Well, here are a few tell-tale signs:

Trustworthy Bail Bond Companies Are Transparent in Everything They Do

A good and trustworthy company is never afraid to show what’s happening inside and outside the company. They won’t try to disguise anything – not their product coverage, not their interest rates and penalties, and not the way they process your application. Everything is disclosed right then and there; no hidden charges or sudden interest inflation. Bluestar Bail Bonds, for example, stick to what has been agreed on and will only charge exactly what you owe them. If you hear about companies overcharging their clients because of “unexpected or unprecedented” factors, you should really steer clear from them. You should only contract with bail bond agencies who know the meaning behind the word trust.

Trustworthy Bail Bond Companies Are Not All About the Profit

All bail bond agencies will charge you interest for the money you owe them. You just have to find an agency that won’t take advantage of your situation and use it solely for their benefit. Choose to contract with an agency that is not only after its own personal gain but genuinely cares about your situation as well. Charging interest is okay; making you bankrupt is not. If you really want to sink your teeth into this whole bail bonds business, here is another helpful article.

Trustworthy Bail Bond Companies Offer Fair Help

That’s right; fair help for everyone. This means they offer equal services and equal prices for people of all kinds in all places. It’s hard to deal with a company that has a lot of prejudices. You should find one that shows fair treatment at all times. You’re already in a rut. A bad company can only worsen the situation. Makes sense?

Bail yourself out in no time with a trustworthy bail bond agency!