What do I have to do to become a lawyer?

What do I need to become a lawyer?

• Answer:

  Becoming a lawyer involves going to law school--which is an institution that specializes in legal education--and getting a juris doctorate (J.D.) degree, which is the primary law degree offered in the United States. There are certain steps required in being able to practice law.Undergraduate EducationFirst, you would need at the very least a bachelor's degree to qualify for admission to law school. The degree could be earned from in field, although subject areas relevant to the study of law can enhance your chances.Applying to Law SchoolThe application process to an American Bar Association-accredited law school requires a filled-out application form, plus additional documentation such as academic transcripts that showcases courses taken and grade point average (GPA), Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) scores, personal statements and letters of recommendation. Registering with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) can enable you to gather all of the required documents into one package for submission to admissions councils.SpecialtyOnce admitted to law school, and with completion of the first year, you would need to choose a specialty in the legal field. They include criminal, intellectual property, corporate or business, constitutional, real estate or property and civil rights law. There is also the option of a general law approach.Bar ExamAfter graduation from law school, you need to pass the bar exam in the state you wish to practice in. This is required for you to be able to obtain a license to practice law.EmploymentYou can either choose to open your own law firm or seek a job opportunity from employers. Lawyers can be found in all sorts of workplaces--from big, private law firms to corporations to government sectors.Source:http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htmhttp://www.law.harvard.edu/prospective/jd/index.htmlhttp://www.law.berkeley.edu/More Information:http://www.abanet.org/http://www.lsac.orghttp://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm