If you want to become a lawyer, your dream is great and achievable with efforts and persistence. Lawyers are those people whose main purpose is helping their clients. They do not mind whether the client is an individual, business enterprises, group of people or an organization.
A lawyer to defend his or her client against accusations or to represent their government to prosecute those that violated the law. Many people such as organizations, individuals, or businesses hire Lawyers to help their clients meet their legal duties and also ensure that others meet theirs.
Types of Lawyers
There are many types of lawyer available to you if you are looking for legal aid. When you have a problem that you need legal aid for, it is vital to secure the services of a lawyer that specializes in that area.
However, in this article, our focus will be on those lawyers that specialize only on the normal legal problems. They are as follows;
- Estate planning lawyers
- Personal injury lawyers
- Criminal lawyers
- Bankruptcy lawyers
- Immigration lawyers
- Intellectual property lawyers
- Corporate lawyers
- Employment lawyers
- Taxation lawyers
- Family lawyers
- Workers compensation lawyers
- Contract lawyers
- Social security disability lawyers
- Civil litigation lawyers
- General practice lawyers
If you love the idea of having a law degree or you want to become a lawyer, you should also know that it is no child’s play. You should get ready to go through uncountable sleepless nights if it is your dream to be a lawyer. You need to spend the time to study hard and be ready to incur debts that run to the six-figures to pass through law schools.
Although there are many types of lawyers, the processes involved to become a lawyer are the same. To be a lawyer is not easy or cheap. You have to pass through at least seven years of college education. There is also the need for a law degree and an undergraduate degree. You will have to pass the bar exam which is administered by the state if you want to become a practicing lawyer.
This article is not about scaring you off your dream of wearing suits and appearing in court. It is to answer your question of what does it take to be a lawyer? With this article, we will prepare your mind so that you know what you will meet in the seven years of law schools.
What does it take to be a lawyer?
The training requirements include:
1. Undergraduate Degree
The first step that you need to follow before you can actualize your dream to become a lawyer is to get an undergraduate degree. You have to pass through four years of university or college. Your four years of serious studying may not focus on the legal field or major in a law degree. The important thing is that you have earned your bachelor’s degree. Majority of the law schools that have the ABA {American Bar Association} accreditation requires a completed bachelor’s degree before admitting anybody. Although in California, as far as you have done a two-year undergraduate course or have passed any equivalent exam, you are eligible to enroll into a law school. It will be quicker to enter in law school from there, but the only downside is that you will find it difficult to get admission in any of the top law schools.
2. Taking the LSAT
Most of the United States law schools require applicants to pass LSAT or an admission test before they can admit them. Your admission depends on the score you got from the LSAT. Therefore, there is a need to spend the time to prepare for the exam. Most times, students that are still in college take the LSAT exam. This method helps them to cut down the additional time they would have wasted. On the other hand, if your score is not okay or you are not happy with it, you can always retake the exam after your bachelor’s degree. However, it will extend the time for you to become a lawyer.
3. Enroll into Law School
Another important step you need to follow before becoming a lawyer is to go to law school. Many people often ask the question how long is law school? Well, the answer is not straight because it will depend on whether you go for a full-time or part-time. The shortest way is to enroll as a full-time student if you want to finish the course in three years’ time. It is true that many law schools make the provision for students that wish to study part-time, your years will be longer. You will have to spend up to four years in law school instead of the required three years.
There are some states like Colorado that do not require law school attendance before you can become a lawyer. However, the states that require attendance from an ABA-accredited law school are on the majority. For instance, in New Jersey, before you gain recognition as a lawyer, you have to pass through a law school that has the ABA accreditation.
4. Take the State’s Bar Exam or Licensure
After completing your law school, there is the need to write the bar exam of the state you are residing in or going to practice. It may take you about two or three months to prepare and take the exam which is additional time to become a lawyer. After the state bar exam, you still have to wait for you to be called to the bar officially even if you passed. To be officially called to the bar to become a lawyer, you have to pass through a fitness and character review by the bar association of your state. This process involves a complete check on your employment history, financial, residence, and criminal history. Your official recognition will depend on the cleanness of your record.
5. Earning your Potential
To earn your lawyers salary, you need to get employed and earn as a lawyer. Just being a lawyer has created an employment and excellent earning opportunities.
Conclusion
To answer the question of how long it can take you to become a lawyer, it can take you up to seven years after your graduation from high school. As for a lawyer’s salary, their median yearly earnings depend on their state’s standard or the sector they are practicing. For instance, those lawyers who are working under the government, insurance, and finance sectors are the highest paid ones.
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