High School

A high school diploma, a college degree, and three years of law school are minimum requirements for a law degree. A high school diploma is a first step on the ladder of education that a lawyer must climb. If you are considering a career in law, courses such as government, history, social studies, and economics provide a solid background for entering college-level courses. Speech courses are also helpful to build strong communication skills necessary for the profession. Also take advantage of any computer-related classes or experience you can get, because lawyers often use technology to research and interpret the law, from surfing the Internet to searching legal databases.

Postsecondary Training

To enter any law school approved by the American Bar Association, you must satisfactorily complete at least three, and usually four, years of college work. Most law schools do not specify any particular courses for prelaw education. Usually a liberal arts track is most advisable, with courses in English, history, economics, social sciences, logic, and public speaking. A college student planning on specialization in a particular area of law, however, might also take courses significantly related to that area, such as economics, agriculture, or political science. Those interested should contact several law schools to learn more about any requirements and to see if they will accept credits from the college the student is planning to attend.

Currently, about 200 law schools in the United States are approved by the American Bar Association; others, many of them night schools, are approved by state authorities only. Most of the approved law schools, however, do have night sessions to accommodate part-time students. Part-time courses of study usually take four years.

Law school training consists of required courses such as legal writing and research, contracts, criminal law, constitutional law, torts, and property. The second and third years may be devoted to specialized courses of interest to the student, such as evidence, business transactions and corporations, or admiralty. The study of cases and decisions is of basic importance to the law student, who will be required to read and study thousands of these cases. A degree of juris doctor (J.D.) or bachelor of laws (LL.B.) is usually granted upon graduation. Some law students considering specialization, research, or teaching may go on for advanced study.

Most law schools require that applicants take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), where prospective law students are tested on their critical thinking, writing, and reasoning abilities.

Certification

Some lawyers choose to earn a Master of Laws (LLM) degree, an advanced law certification that helps them advance professionally. LLM programs, which typically last one year, are offered in many areas—such as business law, corporate law/corporate governance, dispute resolution, general law, and litigation/trial advocacy. A first law degree is required for admission to LLM programs. Visit https://www.lsac.org/llm-other-law-program-applicants/application-process-llm-other-law-programs for more information. Visit https://www.americanbar.org to learn more about law specialties and law schools.

Other Education or Training

The American Bar Association, National Association for Law Placement, other national associations, and state and local bar associations offer a variety of continuing-education opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information.

Most law firms provide in-house continuing education opportunities to their employees. Some even offer mentorship programs that pair new lawyers with experienced attorneys to help newcomers learn the ropes.

Certification or Licensing

The National Board of Trial Advocacy offers voluntary board certification in civil law, criminal law, and other areas. Contact the board for more information, https://www.nbtalawyers.org. Board certification is also provided by specialty legal associations such as the American Board of Certification (https://www.abcworld.org), which offers voluntary certification to bankruptcy attorneys in business bankruptcy, consumer bankruptcy, and creditors’ rights law.

Every state requires that lawyers be admitted to the bar of that state before they can practice. They require that applicants graduate from an approved law school and that they pass a written examination in the state in which they intend to practice. In a few states, graduates of law schools within the state are excused from these written examinations. After lawyers have been admitted to the bar in one state, they can practice in another state without taking a written examination if the states have reciprocity agreements; however, they will be required to meet certain state standards of good character and legal experience and pay any applicable fees.

Federal courts and agencies have their own rules regulating admission to practice. Other requirements vary among the states. For example, the states of California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington allow a person who has spent several years reading law in a law office but has no college training or who has a combination of reading and law school experience to take the state bar examination. Few people now enter law practice in this manner.

A few states accept the study of law by correspondence. Some states require that newly graduated lawyers serve a period of clerkship in an established law firm before they are eligible to take the bar examination.

As an undergraduate student, try to participate in an internship at a courthouse, law firm, or other legal employer. Additionally, many private public defense organizations offer internships. While in law school, it's a good idea to participate in a judicial clerkship. A clerkship with a judge will provide you with a behind-the-scenes look at the court system and the issues judges and lawyers deal with daily. Participation in school-sponsored legal clinics, in practice trials under the supervision of experienced attorneys, and in your school’s moot court competitions also provide excellent experience.

Successful lawyers have excellent oral and written communication skills. They should have a strong, clear speaking voice so as to convey confidence in courtroom and other legal settings. Lawyers must be able to explain complex legal concepts to their clients during legal consultations, as well as convince the judge and jury to decide in their client's favor. Other important traits include good listening skills; the ability to work well with people; excellent organizational, research, and litigation skills; a detail-oriented personality; strong ethics; good reasoning abilities; the ability to effectively negotiate; and the ability to find creative solutions to problems, such as complex court cases.