How to become a lawyer

There are a lot of people who would like to know how to become a lawyer. This is because these people would really like to be a lawyer. However, the steps to becoming a lawyer are both difficult and challenging, so only a few will actually make it through the following steps:

•  Before you ever consider investing in lawyer training, you should learn everything that you can about what it means to be a member of the legal profession. This includes considering such things as typical employment opportunities, how much school is required, any certifications that you will need and you may also want to talk to lawyers to see just how much they actually like their jobs.

•  If you have decided that you would really like to become a lawyer, then you are going to need to get a 4-year undergraduate degree from a recognized institution. You will need to graduate from this school with a high Grade Point Average (GPA).

•  Either before or after you graduate from college, you will want to prepare yourself for taking the LSAT, which is the Law School Admission Test. This is a test that you will need to take in order to receive admission into law school. You can purchase study aids that will help you to prepare for this test.

•  After taking the LSAT you will want to apply to at least 3 law schools that are recognized by the ABA (American Bar Association).

•  You should also choose what specialized area of the law that you would like to practice in so that you can prepare especially for that area of practice. For instance, you may want to become a criminal lawyer and defend criminals and people who have been accused of crimes.

•  You will need to take 3 years of law school while also participating in as many extracurricular activities as you possibly can. Things such as the Bar Review, internships or writing for a campus law journal will help add experience to your resume so that after graduating you can look for a job.

•  Upon graduating from law school, you will need to pass your state's Bar association exams. To find out when and where these tests are administered, as well as how much they cost, you should contact your state's Bar associations. If you want to take the Bar in another state, make sure you find out the requirements, dates, fees and other info in plenty of time.

•  Once all of your education is through, you will want to prepare a resume that highlights your experience and skills. You can then start looking for a job as a lawyer.

•  There are a lot of variables that must be considered in order to determine what your salary as a lawyer will be. For instance, will you want to work for a company or for yourself? So, depending upon the type of work you do you can plan on making between $40,000 per year and $90,000 per year. Those at the low end of the scale are either teachers or judicial/governmental clerks. At the high end of the scale are lawyers who own their own business.