Before getting on board to become a lawyer, one must ask themselves if they are willing to adopt this profession as their career and also if they are willing to spend several years studying law. As potential lawyers must undertake a series of steps from completion of their degrees to examination, licensing process, and then practicing law.
Average Salaries of a Lawyer Across USA
Below is a brief account of what a lawyer earns on average through his particular law field.
Responsibility of a Lawyer
Lawyers represent their clients on a wide variety of legal issues. They are licensed by the State’s bar association and perform a broad spectrum of legal duties. A typical lawyer conducts research, provides legal advice to clients, and gathers and drafts legal information and documentation. A professional lawyer can pursue his services in the government, private, and corporate sectors.
Before contemplating a career as a lawyer, one must conduct research in this field. One must know about the law-related areas and whether they could enjoy their life after becoming a lawyer. It is valuable if an aspirant conducts a few interviews with practicing attorneys and those running law-related jobs to know more about this field.
Step 1: Complete Your Degree
Complete your bachelor’s degree as it is the minimum requirement to enter law school. Students from any area of study, from science to mathematics and politics, can enter law school once they complete their graduation degree. It means that there are no majors to join a law school.
Step 2: Look For the Best Law School
Once determined that this legal profession is a good fit for them, that person must start seeking a profound law school for better academic and learning experiences. A good law school will conduct proper academic and extracurricular activities, hence preparing that person to be a great lawyer.
Step 3: Read the Law as a Legal Apprentice
Reading the law is common in the State of Vermont and California. Though licensed attorneys must hold a law degree, it is not uncommon to become a lawyer in these states without attending a law school. It is possible if that aspirant spends years of training under the supervision of a practicing lawyer. However, this one is a very old model for becoming a lawyer but is very common in these states. However, considering this method a shortcut is a big mistake as it requires more time and focus than just attending a law school.
Step 4: Pass the LSAT Exam
In the application process for law school, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is crucial. Its objective is to assess the eligibility of an aspirant. This exam comprises an unscored writing sample and a multiple-choice question section. A candidate’s skills in critical areas are judged by performing this test. Along with that, with the help of this test LSAT will also asses the evidence supervision, logical argument, analysis, critical thinking, and cognitive and reading comprehension.
This step is crucial as one must clear this examination to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer.
Step 5: Assess the Law School and Earn a Degree
Once clearing the LSAT, the aspirant must apply for admission to a good law school to earn a law degree. Applicants must keep in mind that some law schools are highly selective, and they do not only consider an aspirant’s GPA and score but will also analyze his resume and personal statement. Students must be cautious while selecting for their law school as their decision will significantly affect their professional life. So, they go for a law school with a good track record of preparing sophisticated and highly professional law attorneys.
A prospective law aspirant must investigate the competitive culture and the potential of that particular law school. This investigation will ensure whether law school fits well for them or not. The aspirant should also compare the cost of the degree with their probable future earnings.
Given below is a list of a few areas of law with specialized training and remarkable degree:
Health law:
Here the law students will combine a master’s in public health. Having a medical degree is helpful for these aspirants; however, it is not mandatory.
Business law:
If a business lawyer owns both a J.D and an MBA degree, they are at most of the benefits as compared to a lawyer having only a J.D. Though if a business lawyer does not hold a law degree, he is still marketable in this field.
Family law:
Aspirants with a background in marriage counseling or social work can earn benefits if they apply for this law degree.
Tax law:
To be a tax law attorney, these attorneys must master a J.D. degree in combination with an LL.M degree in tax.
Corporate law:
This one is a lucrative law field as the responsibilities include solutions to corporate disputes, handling mergers and acquisitions, and creating and suspending corporations.
Step 6: The Bar Examination
Bar examinations usually take two days, with the first day devoted to a Multistate Bar Examination and the second day to a detailed writing examination. However, every country has its own testing guidelines and criteria for this exam. In addition to this exam, the bar examiners will also analyze the candidate’s ability to represent in legal matters, his competency and character, and his complete educational background before they offer him a full legal law license.
Begin Your Career as a Lawyer
Generally, freshmen lawyers start their professional life as associates by working closely with seasoned lawyers. After years of successful practice, they have many opportunities to advance their career. They may rise to join partners in established law firms, or they can also open their own law office. A lawyer can also pursue his/her further education and can earn a master’s (LLM) or a doctoral level (Ph.D.) degree. They can also become a judge or choose to shift to a public position.
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