About 71,000 people applied to law school for the 2021 school year. Many of them have dreams of becoming a lawyer and starting a new career.
Being an attorney is still lucrative and holds a lot of status in our society. Becoming a lawyer is a long road, and there are a lot of steps in the process.
Keep reading to learn how to become a lawyer and grow your career.
1. Education And Bar Exam
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Every attorney licensed to practice law has to have the right education and pass the bar exam. Most states require a law school degree before you sit for the bar exam.
If you want to skip the high costs of law school, only Washington, California, Vermont, and Virginia allow you to take an apprenticeship instead of going to law school.
There are advantages to going to the right law school. Graduates from the top law schools are highly sought after for jobs right out of law school.
You also get access to an alumni network that can help you grow your career.
2. Choose Your Specialty
There are dozens of different types of law to practice. You can choose to become a business lawyer, entertainment lawyer, real estate attorney, bankruptcy attorney, or immigration attorney to name a few examples.
Consider the amount of money you’ll make and the work involved. Some areas of law require negotiation skills more than persuasive skills.
Look at trends in the legal landscape. You might spot opportunities to start a rewarding legal career.
3. Gain Experience
You’ll need to gain experience while you’re in law school. Become a law school intern after your first year of law school.
You can find an internship at a firm in your area or get a coveted judicial clerkship. Clerkships are reserved for the top law students across the country.
This is a chance to learn about your specialty and see how the law really works. If you do a great job during your internship, you can get a job out of law school.
When you get a job out of law school, continue to learn as much as you can about your legal specialty. Gain as much experience working on cases as you can.
4. Start Your Own Practice
After you have enough legal experience, you can open your own law firm. You need to be aware of the drastic differences between working for yourself and for someone else.
Starting a law firm means that you have the responsibility of running a business on top of working with clients. You need to know about law firm marketing, financial management, and business operations.
Talk to other attorneys in practice for themselves before you decide to start your own law firm.
Learning How To Become A Lawyer
Becoming a lawyer opens many doors to creating a profitable career. There are many possible paths to starting your legal career. Check the laws in your state so you can choose the best path for you.
Did you get a lot out of learning how to become a lawyer? You’ll enjoy the other articles on the blog. Check them out today!
