The Long Road to a Successful Career in Law

To make the decision to practice law means that you are planning a long term commitment to schooling as well as hard work. There are no shortcuts; just a lot of long hours, late night study sessions and tests that can make or break your career. 

A Four Year College or University

It all starts with a bachelor’s degree. While it takes much more to be a lawyer, you have to begin at this level. There is no real degree that bridges directly into the school of law, but there are some majors that make sense to pursue with the end goal being law. This includes things like English, political (or criminal) science, history and economics. Most people, before they graduate get ready to take the LSAT. The Law School Admission Test is an indicator of whether or not you will be able to follow through with the logic, reasoning, writing, and reading that goes along with this pursuit. Certain scores must be attained in order to get into any type of law school.

Law School

The overall goal is a JD or Juris Doctor from law school. It takes about three years of intense classes and testing and students walk away with an overall knowledge of the law in a variety of fields. Schools have the ability to pick and choose which students they believe will be able to attain the level of academic excellence required of them as many people apply and not all get in. Once this schooling is complete, there is still more to be done before being able to become a lawyer.

The Bar Exam

Once again, after watching some late night television you may thing you have some idea of just what it is that the bar entails. The first step is choosing where you want to practice. Once settled, this is the place that a lawyer will look to take the exam as it will cover not only national information but state specific information as well. Once again, many candidates don’t pass on their first attempt. It can be a frustrating experience so consider taking a preparation class in order to get a better idea of what to study and even how to study for the test.

Continuing Education

As with most professional jobs today, there are plenty of opportunities for continuing education. The law is always changing and advancing because of things that take place each and every day. In order to be a successful lawyer it is important to stay on the cutting edge of what will affect not only you, but your clients as well. There is always something new to learn or discover. Also, if you want to continue on to becoming a partner in a legal firm, a judge, or even the President of the United States, there are always things to do to propel yourself forward.