At first glance, it seems that all lawyers have the same responsibilities. But this isn’t the case as there are many types of law you can choose to practice.
People choose to become lawyers for many reasons. Some want to fight for the underdog whereas others want to represent businesses. Becoming a lawyer is one of the most lucrative careers you can have, both professionally and personally. However, it also has some of the strictest requirements when studying to become one. Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a lawyer.
The Duties of a Lawyer
Representing people in court is just one of the many responsibilities a lawyer has. However, lawyers aren’t always seated in a courtroom. They spend a majority of their time in their office doing other important tasks. Below is a list of a lawyer’s daily duties:
- File and make copies of important legal documents
- Perform research of a certain aspect of law to help their client’s case
- Negotiate with other parties to settle disputes
- Probating wills and guiding executors on their duties in this position
- Giving legal advice regarding claims, filing suit and business transactions
- Hypothesize various outcomes of court cases based on the evidence they’re provided with
- Present cases to the judge
A lawyer’s responsibilities are vast, so given how law requires nothing but the best accuracy and precision, there’s no room for errors.
The Education You Need
The reason why becoming a lawyer is so strict is mainly due to the education requirements you must fulfill. The first thing you need to do is obtain your bachelor’s degree. Many opt for majors in Political Science or Business. A bachelor’s program takes about four years to complete. You can go the extra mile and acquire your graduate’s degree, but it’ll cost more than your bachelor’s.
The average cost of a Master’s degree in law is somewhere around $100,000. You’re going to need a way to pay for this, so you can focus on your degree. And there’s no better way to do that than by taking out a student loan from a private lender. Thanks to their reduced interest rates, paying off your law school student loans is easier and not as stressful as with traditional bank loans.
Unlike most careers, graduating college isn’t enough to become a lawyer. Upon graduation, the next step is to pass your LSAT. LSAT is short for Law School Admission Test. This is the test that determines if you’re eligible to enroll in law school. Without law school, being a lawyer is impossible. You need to score at least 150 on the exam to pass it, but some law schools may be lenient and accept as low as 120. But try to aim for the highest score possible, which is 180.
It should be noted that law school has some of the fiercest competition you’ll ever see. Once you’re enrolled in law school, you must obtain another degree called the Juris Doctor. This takes about three years to complete and allows you to take the MPRE and the Bar Exam.
Types of Law You Can Participate In
At first glance, it seems that all lawyers have the same responsibilities. But this isn’t the case as there are many types of law you can choose to practice. When you start to think about how to start your legal career you should start with determining the sector that interests you most. You can practice civil rights law, criminal law, family law, international law, immigration law, admiralty law and intellectual property law. It’s best if you decide on what type of law you wish to study before anything else, so you can have a straight shot through the process. Keep in mind that it’s also possible to practice more than one type of law.
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