How To Become A Lawyer
Practicing law is one of the noblest professions in the world. But becoming a lawyer is very challenging. It takes a lot to become a good lawyer; you need to start preparing yourself from a very early age and have the mindset of becoming a lawyer.
Since you have clicked on the link to this article, there is a high possibility you want to learn how to become a lawyer. In this article, I will tell you everything in detail on how one can successfully become a lawyer in the United States of America.
The relationship between a lawyer and a client is very sacred; a lawyer works on behalf of his clients and ensures he/she wins the case. But before delving deep into learning how to become a lawyer, let us take a look at who a lawyer is exactly.
What Is The Job Of A Lawyer?
People’s lives depend on lawyers. God forbid if you ever fall in any legal trouble, a lawyer is the one who is going to save your life from getting ruined. Lawyers can be found in both the public sector and private sector.
The main job of a lawyer is to give legal counsel to his clients. He also represents his clients in the court of law. This is the basic foundation of all lawyers. The lawyer’s salary depends on the area of specialization. Now let us look at the steps on how you can become a lawyer.
How To Become A Lawyer In 5 Steps
Down below are the steps that you definitely need to know in order to become a lawyer. Do note that in order to become a lawyer, you need a certain amount of skill sets and academic qualifications.
If you do not have the academic qualifications, then you cannot become a lawyer.
#Step 1: Obtain An Undergraduate Degree
The first step you need to know for learning how to become a lawyer. Lawyers are one of the most sought-after jobs, so it is but natural that you would require an undergraduate degree to become a lawyer. Ensure that your GPA is above 4.0.
Law schools do not take kindly to people that have GPA less than 3.0. Your major is not going to matter. So I would suggest you take subjects that are very scoring as your major so that your GPA does not get affected.
However, for practicing property law, you would need a special degree in math and computer science since property lawyers have to go through the patent bar as well as the BAR that requires some technical degree.
#Step 2: Take and Pass LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
For making an entrance to the Law School, you would need to pass the Law School Admission Test. Taking this test is a lengthy process as this takes a complete day to complete.
Besides the written examination, it also takes into account the verbal, reading, and reasoning skills of the candidate. Law schools take this into account to assess the candidates.
Even though in the real world the exam marks do not matter as much, most law schools take the exam marks very seriously. LSAT exam marks are just as important as your GPA. Having good LSAT marks increases your chances of getting into a law school, especially if your GPA is not that high.
In most parts of the world, the LSAT exam takes place in the month of December.
#Step 3: Obtain Juris Doctor Law Degree
The Bureau of Labour Statistics has specified very clearly that in order to be eligible for taking the BAR exam, you need to obtain a Juris Law Degree. It essentially means that you need to have passed out from an accredited law school to be eligible for taking the bar exam.
This is one of the most important things you need to know to become a lawyer. You can also go to an unaccredited law school in a few states, but you need to fulfill the other testing criteria.
A few law schools have their own sets of rules and guidelines, making the process of admission quite selective. However, in most law schools, your GPA and LSAT marks matter the most.
#Step 4: Take and Pass MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination)
This is the step that you should definitely keep in mind in order to learn how to become a lawyer. There is an ethics exam called Multistate Professional Responsibility Exams. Aspiring lawyers should pass this exam on writing the BAR test.
This exam is too hour long, and it consists of 60 questions which are mostly multiple choice. MPRE is developed by NCBE and occurs three times a year.
You need to ensure you have taken and successfully passed this exam in order to write the BAR exam in all the states in the US. Except for Wisconsin and Maryland.
#Step 5: Take The BAR Exam And Pass It
This is the last step in learning how to become a lawyer. This is where you give the most important law exam in the world called BAR. Passing the BAR exam is very difficult, so do not get your hopes too high, but at the same time, do not get demotivated.
Most candidates do not pass the exam as it is a very difficult exam. The passing rate is only 40%. The pattern of the exam is not so complicated; multiple-choice questions make up the most part; there are a few long easy type questions as well that evaluate your knowledge of the law and your capability to make the law applicable in various scenarios.
Final Thoughts
There you go; I hope this article has given you some insights on how to become a lawyer. You need to have a lawyer mindset from a very early age to become a good lawyer. If you have any further questions, query or feedback, kindly drop them down in the comment section.
