The Steps of Becoming a Lawyer (Part II): Post-Secondary

Steps in Becoming a Lawyer: College

In college, this is when you start focusing on becoming a lawyer and the steps it takes to get there. It will be stressful and overwhelming since pursuing law is a lot more effort. Choose a college that is well known for its academic reputation and has a major you want to pursue. There is not a required major you need to take, but there are some pre-professional programs such as pre-law that you can take, not all colleges have this.

1. Major and/or Program

As I mentioned, there is not a required major to pursue law. You can major in anything that would benefit you and your future career in law. Whether it is Political Science, English, or Math, you can pursue these in college. If you have an idea of what area of law you want to pursue, you can base your major on that. Some colleges also offer a pre-professional program called pre-law. Also, not all colleges offer this.

1. Doing well in College

In college, you should be doing well academically. College classes are much more time-consuming than high school classes. Try to stay on top of your work and study for your classes. Maintain a good GPA, especially if you want to transfer to a law school. The minimum GPA is 3.0, but I recommend getting higher than that.

1. Extracurriculars

College is a time where you can demonstrate your interests and skills more. Find clubs for those who are also pursuing law to surround yourself with people who can help you along the way. You can also intern at local law firms, shadow lawyers, or volunteer at a law firm. More opportunities in college would help demonstrate your interest in becoming a lawyer.

1. LSAT

The Law School Admission Test or the LSAT is a test that is required if you want to attend a law school. LSAT is a big part of your law school college application. According to the Law School Admission Council, “The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score”. You want to do well in your test which means you want to set aside time to study for the LSAT. According to PrepScholar, “The recommended study time for the LSAT is 150-300 hours. This comes out to 20-25 hours a week for 2-3 months, which is a serious commitment” (Fulcinti).

Steps in Becoming a Lawyer: Law School

In law school, you need to start having a plan of what you want to do and what you want to pursue. Law school is only for three years, and times can go by fast. Everything you did during high school and college, you have to continue in law school but do more. What I mean by this is maintaining a good GPA, doing extracurriculars, and studying.

1. Academics

At law school, you need to maintain a good GPA and grades. There are lectures, so I recommend developing good note-taking skills if you have not already. You also need to come to class prepared which means you have to do your assignments and require reading because you never know when your professor would call on you.

1. Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars are important during law school. Continue to demonstrate your interest in becoming a lawyer. You can do this by becoming a summer associate at a law firm, interning, shadowing, and volunteering. Doing well as a summer associate's would demonstrate your skills as a future lawyer.

1. MPRE

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination or the MPRE is an exam you would be required to take during law school. According to PrepScholar, “the examination is meant to test students' knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer's professional conduct” (Fulcinti). This means you need to make sure you understand what it takes to become a professional lawyer. Each school has its minimum passing score, so I recommend finding out that that is before taking it.

1. Bar exams

To be able to practice and continue to pursue law, you need to pass the bar exams. The bar exams are known to be the most difficult exam to pass with low passing rates. There are different parts to the exams, which are “MEE: Essay exam, MPT: Performance Test, The Bar: A separate test administered by each jurisdiction/area” (Fulcinti). Different areas are featured on the test, and there are different ways you can study for the exam. According to PrepScholar, “you should study for 400 to 600 hours. If you study for 20 hours a week, that comes out to 20-30 weeks of prep time” (Fulcinti). This means you need to dedicate a lot of time studying for the bar exam.

After Law School

After law school, start finding a job through professional connections, job searching, and much more. Make sure you have an updated resume and show that you have a strong work ethic. You have now become a lawyer! Hopefully, all of your hard work has paid off.

Work Cited

Fulciniti, Francesca. The 5 Steps to Becoming a Lawyer: Complete Guide, blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-become-a-lawyer.

“How to Become a Lawyer – The Basics (Part I).” LegalFlip.com, www.legalflip.com/Article.aspx?id=86&pageid=442#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20become%20a%20lawyer%2C%20these%20are,offer%20for%20a%20job%20as%20a%20practicing%20lawyer%21.

Inc., MTR at CareerPlanner.com. “Lawyer Job Description.” Lawyer Job Description, Duties and Jobs - Part 1, job-descriptions.careerplanner.com/Lawyers.cfm.

LSAT Scoring: The Law School Admission Council.” LSAC, www.lsac.org/lsat/taking-lsat/lsat-scoring#:~:text=The%20LSAT%20scale%20ranges%20from%20120%20to%20180%2C,the%20LSAT%20Status%20page%20of%20your%20LSAC%20account.

Ravenelle, Anna. “How to Become a Lawyer: Steps to Take from High School.” CollegeVine, 15 Mar. 2021, blog.collegevine.com/how-to-become-a-lawyer-steps-to-take-from-high-school/.