The journey of becoming a lawyer may sound complex not only to high schoolers but also to those in undergrad school. But it doesn’t have to be so. With tremendous enthusiasm in the field, you will find your way into the law profession.
Choosing the suitable subjects in high school, gaining experience and the proper certifications, and finally finding a job are merely steps to get you there. Whether you are looking to champion justice or earn a good salary, a career as a lawyer can be your tool.
1. Choose the Appropriate Subjects in High School
Seeing that lawyers are involved in either defending or prosecuting criminals, writing wills, advocating, negotiating, giving legal counsel, and so on, communication is the heart of their career.
And what comes to mind when you hear the word communication? Of course, language, whether written or oral, and there you got it. It would help if you majored in prerequisite languages in high school. For instance, English in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, and the UK is necessary when joining Law School. Other subjects for aspiring lawyers are maths, history, Psychology, and government.
2. Join Law School
To study the JD program in Canada, one needs to sit for the Law School Admission Test besides having a bachelor’s degree. However, you can join an LLB program straight after completing high school. Educational qualifications for Law School are GPA score for LLB and LSAT for the Juries Doctor. Other requirements are co-curriculum activities. LLB is four to 5 years in Australia and three years in the UK. In the US, there is no Undergrad course in law. Therefore, you need a bachelor’s degree in any field to join law school.
3. Gain Experience and Become Certified
In Australia, one way of doing this is taking a Practical Legal Training (PLT), accomplished in one year. Admission to the appropriate local admission authority after graduating is also needed. Also required is practicing law, particularly in your specialized field, for not less than two years.
Another necessity is applying for a law practicing certificate from the law society in your locality. You do this after completing the PLT.
Of course, in other countries, practicing as a lawyer is different. For instance, in the US, you need two take the bar exam in two portions: the ethics and the multi-state bar exam. In the UK, you need to become a solicitor and barrister by completing the two-year Legal Practice Course and the Bar Professional Training Course, respectively.
4. Get a Job as a Lawyer
At this stage, you got the passion, academic qualifications, experience, and certification to start your law career. Approach employers and get hired. Getting a job shouldn’t take you forever if you did the right law degree for the job market.
Bottom Line
To become a successful lawyer, you must invest time and effort, accompanied by lots of patience. Though applying to the right universities is overwhelming, studying in the right school and having valuable practice will shape your career path in law. Finally, your interest should be priority number one to sustain your legal profession in the long run.