State bar Jasmine Mines | How to Become a Lawyer: Steps to Becoming an Attorney

Becoming a Lawyer

A lawyer is a person who holds a license to practice law. They advocate on behalf of their
clients, or they work in another capacity in the legal field. Not all lawyers actively practice
law. Completing the requirements to obtain a law license and getting your license makes
you a lawyer. The path to becoming a lawyer can be a challenging one. It is important to
start on your path at an early age and learn great study habits while still in high school.

What does a Lawyer do?

Lawyers work in both the public sector and the private sector. Attorneys who represent
clients help their clients understand the law and pursue the course of action that is most
helpful to their client’s position. Their help might range from giving their client advice on
how the law applies to their case to formally representing their client in a courtroom.
Lawyers might prepare legal documents, interview witnesses, conduct depositions, argue
court motions and conduct trials. For most lawyers, each day is a little bit different.

Steps to Becoming a Lawyer

Becoming a lawyer takes a certain amount of academic skill. To become a lawyer you must
complete five core steps:

Step 1 – Acquire Undergraduate Degree

Step 2 – Write and Pass Law School Admission Test

Step 3 – Acquire Juris Doctor Law Degree

Step 4 – Write and Pass Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination

Step 5 – Write and Pass Bar Exam

Undergraduate Degree

Every law school requires an individual to obtain an undergraduate degree. Most people
that are choosing a career in the legal field will need to keep their GPA above 3.0. Most law
schools will not worry about the particular subject area that a person majors in and
choosing a subject that is particularly difficult can actually be a disadvantage as your GPA
could suffer as a result.

One exception is for someone that is interested in property law. A person who wishes to
practice property law will need to have a degree in math or a technical science such as
computer science, electrical engineering, chemistry, or biology. The reason for this is that a
property lawyer has to sit for the patent bar as well as the bar which requires a math or
technical science degree.
LSAT

In order to be accepted into law school a person will be required to pass the Law School
Admission Test (LSAT). This test is required for any law school that has been approved by
the ABA as well as most law schools in Canada. The standardized test takes a half a day to
complete and assesses an individual’s verbal reasoning skills and acquired reading skills. Law
schools use this information to assess their applicants.

While this test is not necessarily the greatest measure of how a person will perform in law
school, most schools place a lot of weight on these scores, near the same weight that is
placed on the person’s college GPA. For those individuals who do not have a high GPA,
scoring high on the LSAT can increase their chances of gaining access to law school. Many
schools also use the LSAT as a factor when determining financial aid.

Law Degree

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to even be eligible to take the bar exam, you
first need a legal education that culminates with a law degree (typically the Juris Doctor). In
most states, you must graduate from an accredited law school in order to be eligible to take
the bar exam. In other states, you can attend an unaccredited law school, but you must
complete additional testing requirements.

Law schools have their own requirements for admission and graduation. Admission to law
school is selective. Most law schools admit students who have an undergraduate degree and
a good grade point average.
Applicants typically must submit scores from the LSAT. Law school requires three years of
full-time study, but students who choose to study part time can take four or five years to
complete their education.

MPRE

Before writing the Bar exam, aspiring lawyers must write and pass an ethics exam known as
the MPRE – Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination. The MPRE is a two-hour, 60-
question multiple-choice examination developed by NCBE that is offered three times a year.
It is a prerequisite for writing the bar exam in all but three U.S. jurisdictions (Maryland,
Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico).

Bar Exam

The final step to becoming a lawyer is to write and pass the bar exam. The bar exam isn’t
easy. In some states, the passing rate is only 40 percent. The bar exam usually consists of
multiple choice and essay questions that evaluate your knowledge of state law and your
ability to apply the law critically to various fact scenarios.

Work environment for Lawyers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that lawyers typically work in an office setting.
Whether they work at a courthouse or in an office, they’re usually sitting behind a desk for
much of their day. While it varies among specialties, many lawyers don’t travel further than
a day trip in order to practice law.
They might travel to a handful of courtrooms in their geographic area, but it’s uncommon
for most attorneys to do a lot of traveling. While lawyers might occasionally have to hit the
pavement in order to meet with a client or find a witness, most of what attorneys do
happens behind a desk.

Technology skills

Lawyers need to know how to use technology. Whether a lawyer works in private practice,
for a government agency or even as a judge, they have to work with various software
systems. Most law firms use a case management system to manage files and bill clients. At
the very least, attorneys must type and use software systems for basic document
preparation. Several free and paid services offer attorneys access to software for legal
research.

Listening and Comprehension

Legal professionals can’t work effectively for their clients unless they are able to listen and
comprehend what is being communicated. An attorney must be able to listen to the client in
order to understand the specifics of their situation. Cases often hinge on the details, and a
lawyer must be able to pick up on those details.

In addition, effective examination of a witness and effective cross examination depends on

the attorney’s ability to comprehend what’s being said. When a judge gives an oral opinion
and directs the parties to reduce it to writing, an attorney has to be able to make an
accurate record of what the judge says. Even though lawyers are often called on to speak, if
they don’t listen, they can’t be an effective advocate for their clients.

Patience

Lawyers spend their careers receiving good news and bad. They have to tactfully negotiate
with opposing counsel. Sometimes, the wheels of justice turn slowly. Attorneys have to have
the patience to weather these ups and downs.

Business management

For attorneys in private practice, the business of practicing law means running a business.
Lawyers must know how to sign clients, how to bill and how to process payments. They
must learn how to market their business and how to choose wisely among potential clients.
When clients don’t pay for their services, they need to know how to effectively handle
collections. Most attorneys must have an understanding of business management in order
to work effectively.
Written and Verbal Communication

Lawyers have to understand and analyze large amounts of information. They must read
quickly and figure out what’s important to their case. Then, they need to effectively
communicate this information in writing. Some legal specialties lean primarily on speaking,
while other careers focus entirely on writing. However, all lawyers need to be able to read,
write, and speak effectively.

Logical Thinking

Lawyers need to be able to apply facts to law. They must be able to look at a situation and
determine if the rule applies and whether any exceptions apply to the rule. They need to
use their logic skills in order to find fault in the other side’s arguments. There’s a reason that
logic games make up a good portion of the Law School Admission Test. Attorneys have to be
able to create logical arguments, reason and evaluate the arguments of others.

How to choose a Law School

Most law schools teach the same basic first-year courses, but from there, law schools vary
considerably. If you already know your chosen specialty, you can choose the law school that
has a clinic focus or elective courses in your chosen field. If you aren’t sure about the path of
your legal career, you might consider the diversity of programs that each law school offers.

Some law schools have generous scholarship and grant programs that can defray the cost of
a legal education. You might consider your financial aid package when you make a decision.
Other considerations such as where you ultimately want to live after school and the
academic reputation and bar passage rates of the schools you’re considering can also be
critical deciding factors when you make your choice.

Legal Specialties

Most lawyers practice in a small, niche area of law. Many areas of law are inherently
complex, and no attorney could effectively understand them all. Some lawyers set up what
they call a general practice, but even this is only tailored to the basic legal needs of
individual clients and small businesses.