How Many Years Does It Take to Become an Attorney?
Generally, you must complete a four-year baccalaureate degree and then another three years of law school to complete the academic requirements for a Juris Doctorate degree. After that, you must pass your state bar exam before you can practice law. Many people take and pass the bar exam right out of law school. Some people must retake it, however, after a period of study. Once you have completed law school and passed the bar exam, you can then practice as an attorney.
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Undergraduate Requirements
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There are no specific majors required to enter law school, though you should take courses that emphasize writing, research and critical thinking. Many people enter law school with political science majors as undergraduates. But some technical majors, such as engineering or accounting, can provide an excellent preparation for a career in patent law and tax law, respectively.
Law School Admission Test
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Nearly all law schools require the LSAT, or Law School Admission Test, in order to be considered for admission. The test is administered four times per year and measures reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning skills.
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Law School Curriculum
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Law school is usually three years of full-time study. The first year is focused on getting a general grounding in broad areas of law and critical reasoning skills. The second year increases the student's exposure to specialty areas, such as intellectual property, business law and tax law. The third year emphasizes lawyering skills, such as oral argument and cross examination.
Career Prospects
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Recent research is showing that law school is far from a ticket to a plum job on graduation. About 20 percent of new law school graduates report they are not employed in their career field nine months after graduating. Many of those who are employed at law firms report they are in temporary positions. Many students are struggling to make student loan payments.
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