What Qualifications Do You Need to Become a Lawyer?

The legal profession in the United States is a regulated industry, and each state sets its own requirements for admission to practice law in that state. An individual must be admitted to practice law in a state before being allowed to practice law in that state. Although there are variations between states, there are certain requirements to become a lawyer in most states.

Receive a Bachelor's Degree

Most states require an individual to hold a bachelor's degree before being admitted to law school. The bachelor's degree need not be in any particular field, and there are no prerequisite courses to gain admission. Students with degrees in music, dance, engineering, political science and astronomy all may attend law school.

Graduate from an ABA-Accredited Law School

A person who wants to be a lawyer generally must graduate from an ABA-accredited law school. Law school usually involves three years of full-time study, although many schools also offer part-time study. Although most state bars require attendance at an ABA-accredited school, some allow attendance at a non-ABA-accredited school. Some states additionally allow people to train through apprenticeship. However, the bar passage rate of people who train through apprenticeship is markedly lower than the passage rate for those who graduate from law school. As of June 2009, Wisconsin allows, under certain conditions, that a graduate of an ABA-accredited law school in Wisconsin may gain admission to practice law in the state without taking the state's bar exam.

Pass the Bar Exam

Most states require a person to pass the bar exam before being admitted to practice law in that state. Each state maintains its own bar and offers its own bar exam. A bar exam is usually a two- or three-day test that assesses a test-taker's knowledge of general principles of law that apply in all states and laws specific to the state in which the bar exam is being taken.

Gain Admission to Practice Law

Even though a person passes the bar exam, that person still must be admitted to practice law in a state. A person licensed to practice law in one state may not automatically practice law in another state, as each state maintains its own bar admission requirements. Some states, however, do grant reciprocity to members in good standing of other states' bars. A person who passes the bar exam, however, may be denied admission to a state's bar, e.g., for failing to be candid to the state's bar about past misconduct.

Maintain One's License to Practice Law

Most states require a lawyer admitted to the state's bar to complete annual or semi-annual continuing legal education (CLE) training and pay annual dues. A lawyer who does not keep up with CLE requirements will have his or her license to practice law suspended.