December 10, 2010
How To Start A Career As A Lawyer
Becoming a lawyer can be appealing to people for a number of reasons. The ability to help people or society in general leads some to become prosecutors and assistant district attorneys. Money or trying to protect people from false accusations lead to others becoming defense lawyers. Starting a career as a lawyer can mean a lot of fairly different actual jobs within the field.
Aside from the famous (and infamous) jobs of prosecutors and defense attorneys are less exciting professions such as tax attorneys and those who specialize in corporate law. Anyone who works as an attorney must first go to law school and pass a state exam called the bar exam, though. There is the exception that in four US states, a practice of studying under an attorney or judge for an extended period of time (called “reading the law”) may be substituted for a formal law school education.
Law schools in the United States are graduate schools. Most require that applicants have a bachelor’s degree, and all require some previous college experience. The choice of major is usually left up to the student, however, and law schools accept students with broad varieties of undergraduate majors. A certain GPA and score on the LSAT, the law school admission test, may be required for admission.
Law school generally takes three years to complete. The first two are classroom based, and the last may have more real-life experiences. Many law students clerk for judges at some point during their education, which can provide some hands-on education in the field. At the end of their program, students receive a JD, or Juris Doctor, which is a doctorate in the field of law, and considered a professional degree.
People with JDs are not necessarily able to practice law. Besides having a JD, attorneys must also have been admitted to the bar in their state, which is achieved by taking the bar exam. There is some reciprocity in that passing the bar in one state may allow attorneys to practice law in certain other states, but not all. Each state makes their own rules.
There is a test as part of the bar, but the other part is a moral and character evaluation. The standards and the exam and evaluation are each made and regulated by the state, so they vary from state to state. Upon passing both parts of the bar, the new attorney takes an oath to uphold the law and the regulations about practicing the law in the state they are licensed.
That license to practice expires after a given time period. Some states have stricter requirements for renewing it than others. This may include continuing education units in a given number or field that have to be completed before a renewal will be granted. Continuing education helps make sure that attorneys are up to date in the field.
People who successfully complete the requirements to begin a career as a lawyer usually stay in the profession because it is such a big investment of money and time. Most attorneys do not make much money in their first few years of practice, and those that work for a state or city government may never make a lot. This means that people considering a law degree need to be sure they enjoy the job.
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9 Comments on How To Start A Career As A Lawyer »
April 17, 2011
Carol @ 5:33 pm:
During the questioning before the jury was selected, all potential jurors were asked the same question by the defence attorney. Did we believe in 'throwing the book' at a defendant as a warning to others. Most of the people said no, they didn't think that would be fair. I said it would depend. If this was a first offense than defintely not. But if the defendant had a long history of criminal wrong doing, then yes. I thought it would be fair.
I was dismissed. As I was leaving the courtroom, a sheriffs' deputy was standing at the door. He could barely stifle his laughter. When I got out in the hallway he told me the defendent had been locked up so many time they named a wing of the jail for him.
June 2, 2011
Bookmarklet @ 7:19 am:
Criminal Defence Attorney to Solve Assault Cases in BC
Online PR News (press release)
John Buchanan is a criminal defence attorney who defends clients charged with different types of assault cases in Vancouver and adjoining areas in BC. Online PR News – 22-February-2011 –Based in Vancouver, BC, John Buchanan is a criminal defence …
June 3, 2011
Find Articles, Free Articles Directory | Education Articles @ 2:11 am:
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July 1, 2011
Finia!! @ 5:39 am:
Sure you could look at 9/11 as a wake up call for the US. However I don't believe that it was right to do it with violence. Violence never has solved anything and to hear that 26 percent of American Muslims believe that is was justified is very disheartening. "Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
July 9, 2011
Jaime Moss @ 6:14 pm:
LATEST INFOTAINMENT 4 U
avid Headley, a Pakistani-American LeT operative, provided an insight into the religious, military and intelligence training being imparted by LeT, which has been responsible for the Mumbai attacks and is considered a threat by the US, in his testimony during the recently-concluded trial of co-accused Tahawwur Rana.50-year-old Headley told the court that he went for religious training by the LeT in 2002; the three-month operational military training in 2003; and the LeT leadership course in 2004. In between, he did a course in intelligence in 2003."I did the basic — the religious course in the beginning. I did a preliminary course, a military. And then I did the advanced course. Then I did the intelligence course. Then I did the anti-terrorist course. Then I did the leadership course. And that’s it," Headley told the court in response to a question from the defence attorney.All these courses, he said, were directed towards fighting in Kashmir. Headley told…
July 25, 2011
Carol @ 11:36 pm:
During the questioning before the jury was selected, all potential jurors were asked the same question by the defence attorney. Did we believe in 'throwing the book' at a defendant as a warning to others. Most of the people said no, they didn't think that would be fair. I said it would depend. If this was a first offense than defintely not. But if the defendant had a long history of criminal wrong doing, then yes. I thought it would be fair.
I was dismissed. As I was leaving the courtroom, a sheriffs' deputy was standing at the door. He could barely stifle his laughter. When I got out in the hallway he told me the defendent had been locked up so many time they named a wing of the jail for him.
August 8, 2011
Jamaica @ 4:59 pm:
Dominique Strauss-Kahn denied $1m bail on rape charge –
September 5, 2011
Sooper Articles @ 5:12 pm:
7 Techniques on How to Score High In CBSE Exams –
September 27, 2011
@ 1:07 am:
I can’t see a judge allowing it, frankly.
Nothing surprises me anymore. Pretty soon we'll be seeing lawyer talking heads on all the cable networks describing the added risks of dismissal with clever defence attorney manoeuvres not available in the military tribunal system.
Anderson Cooper 360, of course, will discuss the similarities between this and the Charles Manson trial.]]>