What Is the Minimum Education to Become a Lawyer?

Most lawyers are very well-paid, but they do put in a lot of hours. People enter the field of law not only for the lucrative pay, but because they enjoy engaging in challenging debate, analyzing problems and performing research. An individual interested in becoming a lawyer will likely have a minimum of seven years of post-high school education ahead.

Bachelor's Degree

The first step to become a lawyer is obtaining a bachelor's degree, which usually takes four years. The major is not important, but law schools look for a high grade-point average.

Passing the LSAT

Achieving an excellent score on the Law School Admissions Test is the next step. Because of the importance of this test, many people take an LSAT prep course to prepare for the exam.

Law School

Law school requires a minimum of three years to graduate if attending full time. Some part-time programs are offered as well, often as a four-year option.

Bar Review Course

Many law school graduates take a bar review course to increase their chances of passing the bar exam for the state in which they wish to practice.

Considerations

Not everyone passes the bar exam the first time, and there is a six-month wait to take it again. During this time, the law school graduate will need to study extensively to be sure of passing the next time around.