Seven Steps Professionally Required of Your Lawyer
If you have found yourself in legal trouble and need a lawyer, it could be a frightening endeavor. How do you know if you’ve found the right lawyer? How do you know if they have the right certifications to help you out, and what are the professional requirements for becoming a lawyer? Understanding what a lawyer has to complete before practicing law might ease your mind in trusting them with your issue. The following are seven steps every lawyer has to complete before practicing law.
1. Bachelor’s Degree Program
Before an individual can enter law school, they will have to obtain a bachelor’s degree. The type of degree isn’t of utmost importance, but many potential lawyers choose something related to their desired area of practice. Someone who wishes to practice family law might get a degree in marriage and family studies.
2. Law School Admission Test
Upon receiving a bachelor’s degree, the individual would then take the LSAT. Law school admissions professionals use this test as an assessment tool for each interested student.
3. Law School Completion
In most states, the individual would then complete three years of law school. The school must be American Bar Association accredited. Some states require more than three years, others require fewer. Some allow alternative forms of legal education after a certain amount of law school.
4. Bar Exam
After law school, a potential attorney must pass the state bar exam before they can legally practice law in that state. If they wish to practice in multiple states, they have to take the exam in each state. The bar exam takes three days to complete, for a total of 18 hours, and goes deep into the individual’s ability to process and understand law.
5. Reviews
There’s a lot at stake when a lawyer represents other people’s lives, so they are required to undergo fitness and character reviews. They will have their years at law school looked at, their criminal history scrutinized and their social conduct examined.
6. Legally Binding Oath
The potential lawyer then takes a legally binding oath stating they will uphold the laws of their state and the Constitution of the United States. It’s a serious commitment that every lawyer is required to take.
7. State Licensing
When the first six requirements are fulfilled, the state issues a license to the lawyer, giving them permission to practice in that state.
Finding a Qualified Lawyer
As you can see, becoming a lawyer is quite the process, but understandably so. To find a qualified lawyer to assist you in your case, contact Law Rkhawm today.