Steps to Become an Attorney
Becoming an attorney requires a great deal of advance preparation. In order to become an attorney, you must generally obtain two post-secondary education degrees, a Bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor degree which takes at least 7 years.
Also, there are many steps that you must take while enrolled in school to allow you to continue with your legal education and eventual practice of law.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
A prerequisite to attending law school is to earn a Bachelor’s degree from an undergraduate institution. There is no required major that you must pursue, and in many cases, law schools prefer a student body comprised of diverse majors. Many students pursue degrees in political science or pre-law, however, again, these are not required majors.
Register with the Law School Admission Council
During your junior year of college, you should begin considering where you would like to go to law school and research the admissions criteria for each school. Creating an account with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is a necessary step in applying to law school.
The LSAC facilitates the law school application process for potential students by collecting personal information from the student, as well as college transcripts, letters of recommendation and online law school application materials.
Register for the Law School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a necessary step to entering law school. It is generally a good idea to register to take the LSAT in the beginning of your final year in college. The LSAT is an important indicator used by law schools in accepting or rejecting applicants.
The LSAT is comprised various components that judge your ability to succeed in law school, such as logical reasoning, logic games and reading comprehension. The LSAT is administered by the LSAC.
Earn a Juris Doctor Degree
Once you complete the law school curriculum, you will earn a Juris Doctor degree. Law school is a three or four year program, depending on the type of program you pursue. All law schools offer a full-time day program that will last three years.
Some schools will offer a part-time day program and in some cases, a part-time evening program, as well. When choosing a law school, check your state’s bar exam requirements, most jurisdictions require you to receive a Juris Doctor degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school.
Take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam
Bar applicants are required to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) in most jurisdictions. The MPRE is an examination given to test a bar applicant’s knowledge and ability to apply the regularly accepted rules of professional conduct of the legal profession to various factual situations. This test should be taken in your final year of law school before you take the bar examination.
Take Your Jurisdiction’s Bar Exam
Nearly every jurisdiction requires potential attorneys to take a bar examination. The bar exam is comprised of two or three days of testing, depending on the jurisdiction.
One day of the examination will be the Multistate Bar Exam, which contains questions of common law that can be applied to any jurisdiction. The other day, or days, of the examination is specific to the particular jurisdiction. Many times this will come in the form of essays.