How Many Years of College Do You Need to Become a Family Lawyer?
Family lawyers specialize in the laws that affect family relationships. These lawyers often focus on issues such as divorce, adoption and child custody, and are found in every state. Family law attorneys, like all lawyers, must go through years of college education and be licensed to practice law in the state or states in which they work.
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Undergraduate Education
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Most lawyers begin their college training by receiving at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Law school applicants do not need any specific kind of degree, nor do they need to major in one subject or another. All that is required for law school entrance is that the applicant have at least a bachelor's degree and take the law school admissions test, or LSAT.
Law School Education
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Most lawyers go to a three-year law school after completing their bachelor's degree. Applicants need to demonstrate an aptitude to study the law, think logically and apply reasoning skills. Law school admissions are largely based on the applicant's college grade point average, the quality of the undergraduate school the applicant attended and the LSAT score. Family law attorneys can take classes that focus on this subject area, but a generalized study of the law is all that is required to take the bar exam.
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Specialization and Ongoing Education
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Once a student graduates from law school, she must then take and pass the bar exam in the state or states in which she wishes to work. The lawyer must be sworn in, typically by a judge or representative of the state's judiciary, before she becomes a licensed attorney. After becoming licensed, attorneys must participate in ongoing legal education courses every year. Family law attorneys typically take courses that focus on divorce, child support and similar areas.
Non-College Education
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A few states allow people to become lawyers without going through law school. California, for example, allows people who have a legal education to take the state bar exam, but that education does not necessarily need to come from a law school or accredited legal education program. The State Bar of California allows bar applicants to take the test if they demonstrate they have at least two years of college experience, or pass a college-level examination program. Further, the applicant must be able to show that he has at least four years of legal study in a law office, judge's chambers or some combination of these methods.
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References
- Photo Credit young lawyer image by Alexey Stiop from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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7-8 yrs in college depending the specialty and what certain deggrees you want.
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So 7 years you have to go to ccollege for a lawyer is that what it is saying ????
