Becoming a lawyer is either a dream or a curse. Depending on who you talk to they are either defenders of the weak and preservers of justice or ambulance chasing orators with a thinly veiled respect for the people they serve.
Whichever side of the fence you sit on there is no denying that becoming a lawyer is a difficult process. Once you have your college degree you have to attend a further three years Law School. The school will only accept you if you have a very high GPA and you pass the Law School Admission Test. This is an entrance exam that checks your foreknowledge and preparedness for what lies ahead. With so much competition to attend Law School they can afford to be choosy. It is recommended to begin studying for your LSAT during your last year at college. Yes, we know, when you have enough work to do already! Nobody said it would be easy.
Once you have made it into Law School you have to attend some mandatory courses in your first year to set the groundwork. Courses such as Property Law, Contracts, Torts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure and Legal Writing lay the groundwork for a career in law and the rest of law school, but they’re also the hardest courses you’ll take. Everything you study from here on in will be based on the knowledge you gain from these courses.
Once you graduate from Law School, it’s time to sit the Bar Exam. Passing this will grant you a license to practice law in the state where you sat the exam. Seven years after starting college you can finally graduated and work as a lawyer. Of course finding a job is the next biggest hurdle.
Most newly qualified lawyers will take an internship or clerkship with a firm. These are the best methods of advancing your career and they do occasionally pay a salary! Some graduates will opt to go straight into practice and begin paying off their debts.
The average day for a lawyer depends entirely on the specialty chosen. Some, like trial lawyers or litigators will spend a lot of time in court. Others such as civil lawyers will do paperwork. Be it research, studying contracts or the myriad of other duties that befall a junior lawyer in a firm.
While doing all this you will of course be networking, schmoozing and generally making yourself known through the circuit or office and as a lawyer, business cards are your best friend. They are a quick and easy way to spread the word about yourself.
Once qualified, debt free, experienced and seasoned, where you go from here is up to you. Not all lawyers practice law. Some will teach, work as advisers for corporations or the government. Others will join large firms begin climbing the corporate ladder. It depends entirely on aptitude and the chosen specialty. Whatever you choose, all the hard work and sacrifice to took to get where you are in only set to continue.
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