5 answers
302
Questions
5 answers
Updated
Blake’s Answer
You must obtain a bachelor degree, a degree from a law school, and then pass the BAR.
Updated
McKenzie’s Answer
Hi Jessica. To be a lawyer you will need to go to college, law school, and pass the Bar Exam in whichever state you are looking to practice in. Other than the formal process, you need to be motivated, and not give up easily. The process takes a lot of hard work and perseverance but there is a large payoff at the end to be able to have the career you want.
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DENNIS’s Answer
Hi Jessica: I see you're from New York. I grew up in Brooklyn and practiced law in NYS for 30 plus years so I understand some of your challenges! Rebbeca's answer nailed it but let me add a little. First, STAY IN SCHOOL! Being a lawyer is more than just knowing the law. IT is knowing people and life and lots of other things. Follow your own passions. If, for instance, you love soccer or art, follow those. Both teach you things - how to be a team player or how to capture something of beauty. Both help you relate to others. NYC is filled with lots of distractions and lots issues. Remember the road to being a lawyer is also about empathy - you need to relate to others to understand the law. Example. Going through a red light is against the law. But..what if your passenger is having a heart attack and needs to get to the hospital that minute? IS it a crime then? Understanding life and people helps understand the law! So stay in school. Get good grades. Take the LSATs (practice books help - I was terrible at those tests!) Get into a good a school that you can! (that helps with alumni and jobs) Take the bar exam and after you pass you get sworn and become an attorney. Now remember I told you about being yourself and following your passions? Here's where that comes in. The law has many fields. Love music, look into entertainment law. Love cars. Auto accidents or products cases. Medicine. Medical or nurse malpractice. Follow your heart - your on the right track already! Good luck.
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Jonathan’s Answer
Wow! You are in NYC the #1 Legal market in the work. You are already in the right place in the world.
First you need to get good grades and test well so you can get into a college. Then when you make a choice on college you need to make a strategic decision I didn’t know this at the time that law schools only really consider your undergraduate grades and LSAT score. It is not like college or business where they consider the whole picture.
So when you pick a college you need to decide on one of two paths. Do you go to an easy school where you can get good grades and then it is just a matter of getting a good LSAT score? Or do you go to the best school where it will be harder but if you do well and get a good LSAT score you are a lock to get into a top law school.
There are a lot of top lawyers that chose the former strategy and the truth is that at many mid level law schools the top students there are as good as students at the top schools. Even if you don’t get into a top school if you do well in your first year of law school you can transfer to a better school.
After that do as well as you can in-law school pass the bar so you can get the job you want.
First you need to get good grades and test well so you can get into a college. Then when you make a choice on college you need to make a strategic decision I didn’t know this at the time that law schools only really consider your undergraduate grades and LSAT score. It is not like college or business where they consider the whole picture.
So when you pick a college you need to decide on one of two paths. Do you go to an easy school where you can get good grades and then it is just a matter of getting a good LSAT score? Or do you go to the best school where it will be harder but if you do well and get a good LSAT score you are a lock to get into a top law school.
There are a lot of top lawyers that chose the former strategy and the truth is that at many mid level law schools the top students there are as good as students at the top schools. Even if you don’t get into a top school if you do well in your first year of law school you can transfer to a better school.
After that do as well as you can in-law school pass the bar so you can get the job you want.
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
To become a lawyer in the U.S., you graduate from a law school -- but to actually practice law, you need to pass at least one state's Bar exam and be admitted to practice. Although the terms "lawyer" and "attorney" are often considered interchangeable, an attorneys are a subset of lawyers who are permitted to practice law. Law school is generally three years but can take longer if you attend night school or part-time. You may attend law school only after receiving an undergraduate degree.