I Want To Become A Lawyer?

<3 :) my life is AWESOME! :)

In total, after high school you should expect another 7 years of education until you are a accredited lawyer. First you have to get a Bachelors degree in any field you choose (this will take 4 years). In your 3rd year of college I would start to apply for law schools, because the admission usually takes about a year. You have to take a test called the Law Schools Admissions Test (LSAT). Your score and grades in high school and college plus this test will determine if you make it to law school.
Law school is a 3 year college. After you graduate law school, you have to be admitted to a state bar to practice law in your state. You have to take another test called the bar test which quizzes you on your knowledge of law. The test should be taken a few months after graduating law school. Once you are admitted, you can freely practice law.

In 2002 the median (average) earnings of lawyers was $90,290
But different types of lawyers do have different earnings.
Management of companies and enterprises $131,970
Federal government 98,790
Legal services 93,970
Local government 69,710
State government 67,910

More than 10% of lawyers also made more than $145,000. But I do believe that you have to have extra training to become a specialty lawyer. Especially tax lawyers.

Hope you enjoy your new career in the law enforcement career.
:-)

Mrs. Esq.

Ok,I am studying law , I work at a law firm,It is so many lawyers that are out there it really depends on your intentions, Are you wanting to work with criminals, Injured, Real Estate, Wills,You got alot of choices you can go after, It takes 4 years of undergraduate( regular college) and 3 years of Law school if you go full time so about 7 years...Good luck..Google is your best friend

PGS(Twix)

In the U.S., most law schools will tell you that you need a four-year degree from an accredited college or university, then most states require a juris doctor from an accredited law school before taking the bar exam. Law School is usually three years, but there are four year part-time programs as well. Each state's requirements are different.

Go to college and get a degree in an field that interests you. Don't do Poli-Sci or Criminal Justice just because you want to be a lawyer, unless that is what you are really interested in. Then decide where you want to practice and determine what the requirements are for that area. Go to a law school that meets the requirements for the area, but choose the school that meets your needs. Harvard will get you a great paying job when you graduate, but most of us couldn't get in, state schools are generally pretty good, will get you average jobs and won't cost a fortune.

Check out the source link, it is the best source of info on law school.

Good luck!

Zebra

Your wife's not going to work huh? Can I marry you?

I'm sure there's a careers website somewhere that will have all the info but I'm not from your country so can't recommend what you have, the one in my country is Government run & very helpful.

careers.govt.nz

Have a look at it as at least it will tell you what attributes are required to be a lawyer re personality, skills, etc & exactly what's involved. And it is likely to describe the different kinds of law you can get into.

sarge927

Here's the deal:

Right out of high school it'll take at least 7 years to become a lawyer. First, you have to spend at least 4 years in college and get a bachelor's degree (many people who become lawyers major in political science, but there's no rule that says you have to -- all you need is a bachelor's in SOMETHING). Then you have to take the LSAT. On that note, I strongly encourage you to take an LSAT-prep course. Every lawyer I know that has taken the LSAT-prep said it helped enormously. After that, you have to go to law school for 3 years. Finally, you have to take the Bar exam in your state and pass it. Once you do all those things you can be licensed to practice law in your state.

A few things you should know: (1) Lawyers rarely make the big bucks starting out. Don't get me wrong -- starting salary for a lawyer is usually more than $50,000.00 a year -- but the lawyers who make lots of money have their own successful firms or are partners in their respective firms. (2) Lawyers who work for the Federal Government or the state as district attorneys or public defenders usually make less than those who work for law firms, and in many cases the benefits aren't as good for government lawyers. The upside of working for the government is job security. (3) You can make big bucks as a personal injury attorney because the lawyer usually gets 1/3 of any judgment or settlement in such a case, but you have to work for an established firm that does personal injury litigation or you have to start your own firm and develop a good reputation. Not only that, you have to litigate A LOT of personal injury cases. (4) Don't plan on having much of a life if you become a lawyer. Plan on working at least 60 hours a week, including weekends and holidays. You have to bust your hump to become a partner in a firm or to keep your own law office going.

BOTTOM LINE: There are two types of people -- those who work to live and those who live to work. Lawyers have to live to work in order to be successful. That means everything else in life takes a back seat to your job, and it also means that the vast majority of your waking hours are devoted to your job. It leaves very little time for family, friends, hobbies, etc. I'm not trying to discourage you; I just want to give you enough info so you go into this with your eyes wide open. Can't tell you how many lawyers I know who are divorced because their jobs came first and their spouses and children came second...

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