How to Become a Lawyer

Becoming a lawyer can seem like a great and rewarding career choice. The road there, however, can be a daunting one. There are choices to make, steps to take and many classes along the way. The journey is, in the least, a seven year investment of time, energy, effort and of course, money. While intelligence is a great quality to have, perseverance is perhaps the greatest.

Choosing an Undergraduate School

The first choice on the road to "becoming a lawyer" is selecting an undergraduate school and major. This is an important choice because while there is no particular major required for law school, there are courses that will enhance graduate studies and make law school easier. As law school will probably be the hardest and most demanding three years of the journey, any advanced ground work will be to your advantage.

Preparing for the LSAT

As one nears the end of his or her undergraduate school career, it is time to register and prepare to take the law school admissions test or LSAT. Again, as there is no required major for the undergraduate, there are no preset study questions that can prepare the lawyer-to-be for the admissions exam. The exam is one that helps determine whether or not one might be successful in law school. The exam does not cover topics such as history, political science or mathematics. It is mainly reading comprehension and logic that is examined within the test sections. Preparing for the test does not fall within standard studying parameters. There are many ways to prepare, however. Getting an LSAT study guide as soon as one knows their desire to pursue a career in law is a good place to start.

Applying to Law School

Once the LSAT has been taken, one should be ready to start the actual admissions process which, of course, begins with the application. Most law school candidates will already have an idea of where they would like to attend law school and will begin applying there. Others may not have a clue where to go. While it is good to have direction and intent, it is not completely necessary. You may direct your LSAT scores to particular law schools though most schools get lists of those participating in the admissions test. You will soon be in receipt of admission applications from law schools all over the world giving you many options to consider should you have no prior ideas. The road to being a lawyer is getting shorter.

Once accepted into law school, law students will go through classes, case studies, internships or clerkships, mock trials and may do pro-bono type work at legal clinics. All this is a foundation to becoming a lawyer. The final step is passing the bar exam for whichever state one intends to practice law in. One may think they will be practicing in the state in which law school was attended but that is not always the case. Students who work diligently will have an intended law firm lined up prior to graduation. While the road may seem long, the payoff is a rewarding career in law.

Andre Zayas is a professionally syndicated author.