So you think you want to a be a lawyer…well, it’s not as easy or glamorous as popular television shows—like Ally McBeal and Law & Order—portray.
First and foremost, students can plan on studying for about 7.25 years: four years of undergraduate work, three more years for law school, and then three long, hard months of studying for the bar exam.
I personally don’t think any one undergraduate degree is best in preparing you for law school. Consider what type of law you’re interested in and focus on a degree in that particular field. Traditionally, liberal arts majors are precursors to law school; however, business backgrounds can be just as advantageous.
More important than what undergrad degree to obtain is the need to take college seriously and obtain a high GPA; the higher the GPA, the more likely to be accepted to law school.
Another factor for acceptance into law school is the LSAT exam. The LSAT is similar to the SAT, only on a higher level. A combination of a good LSAT score and a good GPA will ensure admittance into the law school of your choice and perhaps an opportunity to reduce the 7.25 years. Some schools offer 3/3 programs in which the last year of undergraduate school is actually the first year of law school. To be admitted to such programs, both GPA and
LSAT scores must be even higher.
Once in law school, there is an old adage that says the first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, and the third year they bore you to death. For the most part this is true…all except for the third year. I wouldn’t consider the third year boring at all. You take a portion of the bar exam dealing with ethics called the MPRE, and you have the bar exam looming in the near future.
Overall, most of a law student’s time is spent reading. For every hour spent in class, one spends about two to three hours outside of class studying. Obtaining high grades in law school is very important, especially if you want job offers. The better your rank within the class, the better job opportunities you will get.
There are many job opportunities that a law degree can provide, but there are two things that students should consider before pursuing law school. First are the loans that come with getting the degree. Law school can cost about $90,000, which doesn’t include any costs incurred for undergraduate school. Second is that being a lawyer is not always as glamorous or exciting as it appears in movies like A Few Good Men or The Firm. Many attorneys spend most of their time outside of the courtroom researching and writing, not in high-profile trials.
Although this may appear to be a slightly negative point of view, I hope you have a better idea of what law school requires and what your future may entail. Always consider every point of view before making your final decision. Best of luck to you in planning your future.
Law school requires an immense amount of work, but it is very intellectually stimulating if you care about being stimulated. However, thinking about going to law school and thinking about being a lawyer are two entirely different things. The practice of law is not an extension of law school. Worry more about whether you want to devote your life working at a law firm, than worrying about law school. Law firms in general are populated by a$$holes. People who literally believe that somehow you have agreed to give them your life in exchange for the scraps they give you in your paycheck. In general, the lawyers with the power and money who will decide your fate are cheap, manipulative greedy bast@rds with no loyalty but to themselves, who could care less about you and your family. Think seriously twice before joining this band of modern day pirates and scum. The legal profession has been grossly corrupted by law students turned lawyers, who only went to law school in order to make a bucket of money. The number one determining factor about whether a case is taken is “how much money can I make off it?” An associate is not a colleague – but a piece of machinery to be used to make money off of. Here’s how it works. Partner gets client – gives associates files – bills client for work of associates – pays associates as little as possible – keeps difference. More associates – more money. An associate is but a cog in the partner’s money making machine. And, of course, the partner believes it is entirely fair that he pays the associate as little as possible, because that is what the market will bear. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the partners will generally lie to you to make you believe otherwise. If you resist, well simple enough. We’ll just fire your a$$, and replace you with another desperate associate. There are far more sane places for a lawyer to work besides a law firm. Try government. Try solo practitioner. Many lawyers, unfortunately, believe that the only thing that counts in life is how much money you make. They are greatly mistaken and are wasting their lives. Don’t be one of them!
i want to be a lawyer in the future and i am looking foward to it but reading this article isnt making me want to be one so much now. i mean i still do want to be a lawyer but this lady is making it sound boring and long. i think being a lawyer would be hard and stressful but intresting and fun too. and then the cold hard faccts person is sayin not to go to law school. well dont i have to go to law school in able to be a lawyer?? and i know people will lie to me but thats part of life and part of the job.
Kayla I would suggest you don’t be a lawyer.
I think you should do what you want even if it seems like it will be difficult. Reading all these posts didnt leave me with such positive veiw about going to law school and being a lawyer but I know that I want to be a lawyer no matter what. So I will pursue my dream no matter the difficulty level. Besides, I like to dream big!
I’m just starting law school in fall and this article didnt dissuade me at all
One should be as prepared as possible for all the challenges that doubtlessly lie ahead. There are people who are hardened and have turned bitter by the process, but there are likely just as many out there who ,despite life having not gone as perfectly as they planned are leading great lives and careers. If your afraid of hard work and an authoritative power structure law should be the last place you look to for a career, but if it’s something your truly set on, go for it!
i reaaly want to be an lawyer.i love to defend myself as well as others,and i think someone should do right and fight for people rights.i do as well have experience with becoming an lawyer.i have been to acedemic schools for becoming or pursuing your careers,and there i tried to pursue my dreams,and becoming an lawyer.
i want to become an lawyer!
I am thinking of entering the field of law. I am intrigued by the new experiences that it may uncover. However, I am in my forties, and getting ready to graduate my youngest child from high school in two years. I am in counseling as a high school counselor with several upper level master degrees under my belt, but the fulfillment of it all leaves me in a place of complacency, becuase it’s pretty much the same everyday. I am a life learner and love learning and being on the cutting edge of academics. I’m afraid I may be too old to start law school at this time in my life. Do i have the skills to make it, am i just going through some mid life crisis, or what? How do I know?
i wanna b a lawyer bcuz people dont know law we live under maritime admiralty law n codes names n all Caps r corporation not human no nationalities for us n America we outlae n cant redress da constitution only sovereign individual
Im going to the ninth grade at john Tyler high school in Tyler Texas.And i won’t to be a lawyer to death,but this article is making me won’t to change my mine about my future.So like what should i do for my up coming freshman year in high school?
Anyone know how much a graduate with master in law speak 3 language can earn in Poland please?
I am 15 years old and I have decided I want to pursue the career of being a lawyer. I am determined to follow my dreams and I believe I obtain the correct qualities and aspects one should have to sustain this job. I know along with this perminent decision comes the hard work of pushing on and never giving up. I can argue very well, I love to read and I can persuade a person to believe my opinion in almost any circumstance. I’m ready for this and I know I’ve been through enough to maturely see things through a realistic point of view with positive intellectual thoughts. So all in all, I have made my desicion to finish high school with honors and a high GPA and then take four years of college with an additional three years of law school, to then pass my bar exam and become a lawyer at the age of 25 with a legal license to practice in court. CASE CLOSED! *no pun intended
I must make up my mind about what career to pursue and I believe I can fit the lawyer profile and/or the ability to work with law. But my working habits are of an average quality. In other words my grades are not 4.0′s. Could this be a big problem? Another concern of mine is what “Cold Hard Facts” said about lawyers being unmoral egocentric people, if this is so, will some one like me who cares about others a lot have a hard time being a lawyer?
I have put a-lot of thought in becoming a lawyer. After reading this article and other comments. My decision to become a lawyer is still solid and unwavering. I will become a lawyer. Someday I will start my own firm I will fight for my clients not based on there ability to pay or not pay. My selection of clients will be based on there need and my ability to fight for them. JD.
In this article it states that it is mostly book work and writing, which this is an accurate description. The only reason I want to be a Lawyer is to get where I want to go. My long term goal is to be a FBI agent. Becoming a Lawyer will make me have a higher chance of doing what I want to do, in fact, if I don’t get where I want to go, at least I am going to do something I am very passionate about: fighting for what is right. I will not back down. If people give me shit, I will fight them and I always win an argument. So fair is fair.
I wanted to be a lawyer but English is not my first language. If I rate my English skill it would be 4 out of 10. I work as a Telephone Representative right now and talking with hundreds of people everyday gives me confidence to have conversation in English but then they are all plain and simple. If I would take 1st level of this program do you think my English would be that bad? I do not know why I have this imagination of a professor pointing my face and saying “you won’t make it because of your do not speak English!” I finished BA in college. I came from Philippines where Education is taught in English but still I’m fully aware I’ve been having trouble with grammars and vocabularies. I feel like doing Law I have to be armed with high-profile-engish-skilled brain first…I graduated in 2010- been a while, and I’m turning 32 full of doubts. Help!
*because you do not speak english
I want to be a lawyer and i am trying to figure out what should i take for collage to prepare for law school? Can anyone pls tell me? Thank you!
College i mean
Ive wanted to be a lawyer for as longa s I can remember. Ive always had a passion for the law, and its the only thing Ive ever given serious consideration to as a job. But latley Ive been scared to death reading all the horror stories about how tough the job market is.
I dont want to wind up flipping burgers with a law degree and a 100,000$ student loan. I dont know what to do now…
I understand it will not be easy. I will have to get a bachelor degree, get a good GPA, make it into law school, and pass the bar test to become a lawyer, and I know that collage and law school is not always going to be a ball and it is going to be stressful and hard. I understand that being a lawyer is going to be stressful, hard, and boring at times and there might be points I don’t love my job. Plus I’m probably have to deal with greedy people, jackbutts,and jerks at some point in my career. Although I strongly believe in myself and the fact that I can make it through everything, and once I did I would be able to help people and and make a difference. I want to be lawyer, I just hope I’m not dreaming too big and that things go the way I plan.
I want to be a lawyer when I grow up later ! I don’t care what people think of me, as long I am doing things in right way, I’ll go on with it. Thus, being a lawyer needs lots of enthusiasm, courage and discipline. Many people say being a lawyer is troublesome in focusing laws rights and some other laws culture of education, but for me I do think anything can be possible if we try hard on it, I don’t want to let my dream down just from random statements and false advertising on the net. I will carry on my hope yet I won’t give it up !
Hey CJ, a little correction of another here and there, when you know the time and place… can come off as …educated, or funny, but honey your tyrade was just as ugly as some of the grammer you sit and speak of. Halfway through your rant I found 4 or 5 mistakes in spelling/grammar. Im just saying that you shouldnt be so quick to jump all over someone who has a dream or goal. Its simply ugly behavior
I think I want to be an environmental lawyer but I’m not sure? I got my undergrad in Biology, long hours in a library don’t worry me, public speaking has always been easy/enjoyable for me, I like research, analyzing topics, I’m passionate about the environment and helping people. But I don’t have the best writing skills and my ability to memorize information is not always the best. I tend to see issues from a large perspective and then categorize from there. I’m good at thinking outside the box and looking at concepts and ideas from a different perspective. However, I’m still not sure if law school is for me? Although, a lot of things in my life currently seem to be pointing in this direction. Ultimately what attracts me to the law profession is the idea of using the law to make a change and help people. Money, however, is not the most important aspect of my reasoning but I want to make a good living in order have a secure family and pay off my debt I will accumulate while in school. Is law school for me??
I thought being a lawyer would be difficult. I didnt know it was going to be boring. I love defending people and fighting for my beliefs, so I thought being a lawyer was the thing to do. This article is sort of discouraging because ive always wanted to be a lawyer, now, not so confident.
All my life I have been told I should be a lawyer. I am now 21 and have been attending college but I am still completely undecided as to what I want to be. I feel like the more I learn, the less sure I am of who I want to become. I am a very driven and motivated person who is well spoken, I am just so uncertain. The idea of dealing with high-end corporate scum is not appealing. Hopefully I will figure it out soon though… I’m tired of wasting money towards classes that may not benefit me.
The people who posted that they wanted to be a lawyer are probably some of the worst candidates for law school that I could imagine. Please, please save yourself. None of you are ready for law school—not even a little bit ready, if such a parameter even exists.
I want to do Law LLB so I want to know if is there any space for it
Eish I found it hard now to be a lawyer I feel it challeging,but I wanna become it one day I feel so let down now
I am a young teenager, & I have been wanting to become a lawyer for a very long time. I have had my mind set, for about two years now. And I’m already looking into how much they make, & how long you have to go to school for it. I am not, worried about all the work, & how much you have to study. That’s what i want to do with my life, & I will chase my dreams. I think I am doing great to be 13, & already know what I want to do with my life, & I am looking forward to become a lawyer.. & Very excited!(:
Just as most everyone who left a comment wanted to be a lawyer, so do I. All I have to say is anyone who did not use proper grammer should not count on being a lawyer.
Lanise, go to law school. Follow your dreams. You’re never too old for anything. I had a teacher, a good friend of mine now, who is around 70 years old and is still earning degrees in school. Dont limit yourself based off of what society sees as a barrier(age).
I want to know the number of years spent in school to be a lawyer and also is it a post first degree programme ?
this is are very good advice cause i want to be a lawyer in my country
I am presently in Law School. I left a high paying job in a corporate environment because I disliked the culture. Boy was I mistaken. Law School is a cut-throat environment, filled with many underachieving people. Only go if you know for sure you want to be a lawyer. Do not go to Law School for financial reasons, these are the wrong reasons. Make sure that the Law is something that interests you and you’re passionate about. If you go exclusively for the prospect of good money, you will end up hating every second of it – especially now.
As the son of a lawyer in GA, I know what kind of life you can live:
A) be the best lawyer you can be, and have little family life
B) be the minimal lawyer you can be, have a great family, but live a tight lifestyle
despite these seemingly despondent choices, I intend on becoming a lawyer, and eventually becoming a judge. I cannot stand to see injustice occur knowing that I could have done something about it, and being a lawyer will not only help me accomplish this, but get paid nicely while doing it.
Becoming a lawyer has always been a dream of mine – and still is. I am currently in high school. The fact that I would have the ability to defend people, including myself, is something that interests me. I’m not sure if this counts – but I always find ways to win an argument… and I usually do! You could say I’m good at arguing and proving my points. I also heard that some lawyers get to travel around the world, which also fascinates me, as I love travelling. Even if it’s only to work at another office, I still like the idea. I feel that it would gain me a lot of experience, working with different cultures, and maybe even speaking in a different language, to improve the ones I speak (as I speak three fluently). I’m also a hard worker, and I learn from my mistakes. The only problem is that my parents want me to pursue a career in medicine or dentistry (they still like the idea of me becoming a lawyer, but they prefer medicine). I have a question: considering the amount of workload… how hard is law school? And how competitive is it? Thank you.
Challenge accepted !
OMG i really wanted to be a lawyer but that lady broke my heart ,for really if you want give someone advices you don’t have to say those horrible things ,yes we all know that it is hardest !!i like big dream thaz why i chose to be a lawyer.Guys don’t give up for your goal,just say God gave me a brain ,i have to use it as much i can ,it’s no for just having fun,we have to use our brain !!!!!!
I am a junior in high school, and interested in becoming a prosecutor. What major should I take in college?
whatever curcumstances im gonna face,whatever difficulties coming in front of me im neva gonna give up on my dream becoming a lawyer.i only started my law studies .i hope i can achieve my goal:)