How difficult is it to work you way up to become a lawyer?

It depends on what "work your way up" means. Practicing lawyers, as a rule, work very hard. There are other factors outside of your work that determine how you will progress, including the organization culture and policy you are a part of, and if you meet their metrics for advancement, and if there is a place for you to advance to! It's important to work hard and have a strategy for success, which your supervisor should work on with you, and it's okay to leave where you are to take an advancement opportunity

How hard it is to become a lawyer depends on your own skill set and drive. To become a lawyer in the United States, you need to go to undergraduate school. Then you need to go to law school. ... The hardest states to become lawyers are probably those with the hardest bar exams.

Lawyers, like any other licensed profession work hard. In addition to the schooling (4 years college + 3 years law school) you must sit for the bar exam in your state. The CA bar exam is the toughest professional licensing test in the country. It is 3 days long and requires about 3 months of prep after law school. All together, the schooling, time management, testing and discipline prepare you well for the life of a lawyer.

As a practicing attorney, there are long hours of preparation, researching, crafting arguments, and perfecting performance presentations in a court room, boardroom, or business office. But there are also many rewards using the skills learned in law school, through research and on the job training to get the best results for your clients.

Most attorneys are highly intelligent and “over achievers” performing well in school, & on standardized tests. This makes the legal field super competitive. Careful preparation, thinking outside of the box and taking the initiative is critical to success.

Hope this helps!

Best,

Michael