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How Long Does It Take To Become A Lawyer in USA
The work of a lawyer is broad in scope as there is no singular occupation designated to the title. A spectrum of options is available, allowing legal professionals to pursue opportunities in corporate, private, government and international settings. In all cases, lawyers are well-trained advisors to their clients, providing support in a variety of legal matters, civil or criminal.LAWYER CAREER IN-DEPTH
As advisors, lawyers represent clients in both legal issues and disputes. In doing so, lawyers conduct case law research, participate in formal hearings, draft and file legal documents, represent clients in a courtroom and provide general advice. As an example of the diversity within the field, lawyers may prepare mortgage papers, draft and file will and trust documents, defend a client in a criminal trial, or conduct research in international shipping disputes, all within a standard workweek. Lawyers often practice in a number of areas, including tax law, intellectual property, corporate law, criminal law, litigation, family law and environmental law.
WHAT DOES A LAWYER DO?
LAWYER CAREER BASICS
The work of a lawyer is broad in scope as there is no singular occupation designated to the title. A spectrum of options is available, allowing legal professionals to pursue opportunities in corporate, private, government and international settings. In all cases, lawyers are well-trained advisors to their clients, providing support in a variety of legal matters, civil or criminal.LAWYER CAREER IN-DEPTH
As advisors, lawyers represent clients in both legal issues and disputes. In doing so, lawyers conduct case law research, participate in formal hearings, draft and file legal documents, represent clients in a courtroom and provide general advice. As an example of the diversity within the field, lawyers may prepare mortgage papers, draft and file will and trust documents, defend a client in a criminal trial, or conduct research in international shipping disputes, all within a standard workweek. Lawyers often practice in a number of areas, including tax law, intellectual property, corporate law, criminal law, litigation, family law and environmental law.
LAWYER SALARIES
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median annual wage for lawyers was about $114,970 in 2014, with the top 10 percent of earners taking home more than $187,199 per year. Those working in state and local government tend to earn less while lawyers specializing in financial and insurance law are in the top bracket.
Prospective lawyers considering where to practice law should also be aware that in 25 states, the annual salaries surpassed the national average. The District of Columbia topped this list in 2014, with lawyers taking home nearly $169,000. Below is a list of the top ten paying states for lawyers in 2014 according to the BLS.
| STATES | 2014 AVERAGE SALARY |
|---|---|
| California | $158,200 |
| New York | $154,340 |
| Delaware | $145,940 |
| Massachusetts | $144,030 |
| Texas | $141,240 |
| New Jersey | $140,770 |
| Connecticut | $140,040 |
| Georgia | $132,540 |
| Virginia | $131,320 |
| Colorado | $130,620 |
- Develop your interest in law in high school. You don’t have to wait until law school to start gaining skills and experience that will help you in the practice of law. Join your high school’s debate or moot court team, and participate in other activities relevant to the legal field.
- It doesn’t hurt to take Latin if your school offers it. Many legal terms are in Latin, so knowing the language will give you a heads up and keep you from having to memorize a bunch of foreign terms.
- Take classes such as criminal justice for electives, if offered. These classes will give you an introduction to the legal issues faced by attorneys every day.
- 2Get a bachelor’s degree from a 4-year college or university. You generally can’t practice law unless you have a law degree from a law school. To be eligible to apply to law school, you must have a bachelor’s degree from a 4-year college or university.
- Law schools accept students from any department or major. While English, Communications, History, and Political Science majors are common, many lawyers have degrees in science or technical fields.
- A degree in a science or technical field will help you if you want to practice patent law. If you wanted to work in insurance or healthcare law, a nursing degree might be helpful.
- Maintaining a high GPA will improve your chances of getting into a good law, and potentially qualify you for scholarship money. Most law schools require a GPA of at least 3.0 to qualify for admissions.Think Ahead. Develop close relationships with 2 or 3 professors in college who you want to use as references for law school. If they take multiple classes, take every class they offer.
Work part-time at a court or law firm. While in high school and college, if you can find work at a law firm or a local courthouse, these will give you exposure to legal issues and help prepare you for practicing law. If you know what area of law you want to go into, try to find work in that area.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure what area of law you want to practice in yet. You have plenty of time to decide, and many people don’t make their final decision until they’re already in law school. Use this time to explore areas that capture your interest.
Take the LSAT during your senior year of undergraduate study. The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test. All law schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) have this test as an admissions requirement. The test is offered in June, October, and December. Take it as early as possible.
The LSAT is a measure of your reading comprehension and verbal reasoning skills. You can pick up study guides online or in bookstores. There are also prep classes available that you can attend.
Start studying for the test as soon as possible. Do at least 3 practice tests under simulated test conditions before you sit for the actual test.
5Apply to several accredited law schools. After you’ve got your LSAT scores, you can sign up with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). This agency coordinates your test scores, applications, and recommendation letters and distributes them to schools on your behalf. You cannot apply to law schools unless you go through this agency.
Apply to at least one “reach” school. This is a school with a low acceptance rate, or one for which your test scores and GPA fall at the low end of acceptances.
Choose 2 or 3 schools where your test scores, GPA, and other credentials are competitive. You should fit comfortably in the middle of the range of students accepted by that school.
Add on 1 or 2 “safe” schools. These are schools where your credentials are at the top end of the range of students accepted by that school, if not above the average range.
6Dedicate yourself to success in law school. Once you choose your law school, be ready to focus and work hard for all 3 years. Join clubs and groups that are related to your legal interests to study law properly.
Do the readings for each class, and try to give yourself time to review before each class. Most law school professors teach by Socratic method, where they randomly call on students and ask questions about the assigned reading. It’s important to be prepared.
Take notes and prepare an outline for each of your classes. This will help you study for the final exam. Most law school classes have only one final exam at the end of the semester. Your performance on this exam determines your grade for the entire course.
3.Joining a study group can help you make better sense of the readings and understand the major themes for each class.
- Step 4EARN A JURIS DOCTOR DEGREEThe Juris Doctor (JD) is the nationally recognized degree for practicing law in the United States and is currently offered by 205 ABA-accredited law schools. Prospective students should have knowledge of the faculty, areas of study, tuition, and curriculum prior to applying. There are numerous specialties within legal practice and students should select a program that offers a focused curriculum in their area of interest. For example, students may choose to concentrate in areas of real estate, property, criminal, environmental, tax, or family law. Typically students can complete their Juris Doctor in three years of full-time study.
- Step 5PASS THE BAR EXAMINATIONMost states require lawyers to graduate from an ABA-approved law school and pass the state bar examination prior to qualifying in that state. Although each state sets its own testing guidelines, the bar exam is commonly a two day process: day one is spent completing the Multistate Bar Examination while day two focuses on writing examinations covering various legal matters. In addition to the bar examination, the state board of bar examiners also consider the candidate’s educational background, competence, character, and ability to represent others in legal matters prior to offering full legal licensure.
- Step 6ADVANCE YOUR CAREERThere are many opportunities for lawyers to advance their careers. Freshman lawyers generally start out as associates, working closely with seasoned lawyers to hone their craft. After several years of successful practice, attorneys may rise to become partners in a firm while others may choose to open their own law office. Some may move beyond practicing law and become a judge or shift into public positions. Lawyers may also pursue further education at both the master’s and doctoral levels. The Master of Law (LLM) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are two common choices for lawyers interested in careers involving research and academic scholarship.
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