What does it take to be a lawyer?

mcorcoran12

I assume you are looking for something more than just "pass the bar." I just graduated from law school, and am studying for the bar this summer.

I have to tell you, it is a big commitment, in both time and energy. If you are just starting high school, my honest advice to you would be to just take the regular high school courses. At this point, there are not very many specialized legal classes at the high school level(unless you go to a very advanced school). I would recommend seeing if you can get a job as a "runner" in a local law office. This means you'll pretty much just be a glorified gopher for the attorneys, but it's a great way to expose yourself to the legal system and see how it works, and some firms look for kids over the summer to help out a little, since they don't have to pay them very much.

You'll have a lot of time in college to take a wide array of classes, you can wait until then to specialize your education. You may even find by this point that you no longer want to be a lawyer. I myself didn't discover that I wanted to go to law school until my sophomore year of undergrad. If you want to be really ambitious, you can probably take a summer legal course a little later in your high school education at a local community college.

You've got a long way to go before you have to worry about the LSAT and law school itself. I hope this little bit of information helped you out a little. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me. Good luck!

DIYDivorce

Take alot of classes that require you to write. Its really good to join the debate team in HS too. It's good training for talking in front of people and making arguments on both sides of an issue.

Angel

I have the same ambition like you when I was like your age but it will take some time to be a lawyer, maybe a few years,
But first you must go to the law firm to get your law degree,I mean after exams all these stuff,but most importantly you need to have good english.

Pooka

You technically just need to pass the bar exam to be a practicing lawyer. How you get the knowledge (four year degree or otherwise) is up to you.

Ted

Simple answer: pass the bar exam in a state. Most but not all states require that you graduate from an accredited law school. Plan to go to law school.

Rent the movie "Paper Chase". This is set at Harvard, but many law schools model themselves on Harvard.

Take and classes you want, but do well in them and get involved outside of school. Exceptions: if you want to be an intellectual property specialist, the US Patent Office requires an undergraduate degree in science or engineering. Tax law specialists are frequently also CPAs, so study accounting.

Most serious suggestion: be honest in all things and you can start now. A lawyer's most important asset is his/her integrity. All lawyers run into the temptation to take shortcuts. Some destroy their careers over seemingly minor things. If you make honesty a habit now, then you won't be tempted in the future.

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