The Path and Requirements to Becoming a Lawyer

Robert Kennedy makes a point in his novel, “Lawyers have their duties as citizens, but they also have special duties as lawyers. Their obligations go far deeper than earning a living as specialists incorporation or tax law. They have a continuing responsibility to uphold the fundamental principles of justice from which the law cannot depart.”No one can understand this better than a lawyer. a lawyer’s job includes many duties, but the most important of those duties would be helping their client get justice. While an attorney’s job looks really appealing to many it certainly is interesting, it truly is a career that includes the idea of service and care, making it a noble and important career. An attorney must obtain at least a Bachelor's degree and seven years of law school, as well as giving factual evidence to the judge while making a high paid salary a year.

The educational requirements for this field are tough for the fact that it takes a minimum of “seven years of full-time study after high school in order to be a lawyer”(Steps On Becoming a Lawyer 1). That gets broken down as “four years of undergraduate study followed by three years of law school preferably at accredited law schools v. non-accredited law schools”(Steps on becoming lawyer 1). “LSaT test is also required which is an aptitude test”(Kane 1). Other tests measure abilities such as math and English the LSaT measures the logic ability. “The LSaT is a three-hour-and-thirty minute test”(Kane 1-2). “Only two hours and twenty minutes of the test count towards the score-the 3 experimental sections of the writing are not scored”(Steps On Becoming a Lawyer 1-2).

“[It] has five parts to this exam: analytical Reasoning (games), Logical Reasoning (arguments), Experimental Section, Reading and Comprehension, and Writing Sample”(about the LSaT 1). “Students get thirty-five minutes for an each section of the exam”(about the LSaT 2). “This test is offered four times per year in October, December, February, and in June on Saturdays from 8:30-1:00”(When Should You Take The LSaT 1). LSaT is a preparatory test for law school. In order to get into the law school, they factor in (students) GPa and the scores of (students) “LSaT.a membership is required for the american bar association exam in the California state”(The State Bar of California 2). “For the state of California, it is a three day exam that is offered twice per year; once in February and once in July. (The State Bar of California 3) “The first two days is written exam and the third day is fill in the bubble exam. Then a licensed attorney is approved.”(about The LSaT 2) “It is against the law to practice law without a license”(Reuters 1). The related fields to this career are paralegal, law clerk, judges, legal secretary, and law librarian. “There is no actual major requirement for the four year degree before law school but the majority of pre law students get a degree in Political Science”(Kane 2). also there are private law schools such as “California Western, public law schools such as Berkley, accredited, aBa approved, and non-accredited”(Law Schools 1). The rigorous training and education required to become a lawyer must also be paired with an individual who possesses responsibilities and duties.

The greatest responsibility a lawyer can possess is empathy and a guidance. a lawyer may perform various functions, “as advisor, a lawyer provides a client with an informed understanding of the client's legal rights and obligations and explains their practical implications” (Professional Guidelines 1). As advocate, a lawyer passionately asserts the client's position under the rules of the adversary system. As negotiator, “a lawyer seeks a result advantageous to the client but consistent with requirements of honest dealing with others”(Professional Guidelines 2). As intermediary between clients, a lawyer seeks to synthesize their divergent interests as an advisor and, to a limited extent, “as a spokesperson for an each client. As third party neutral”(Lawyer’s Responsibilities 2), a lawyer represents neither party but helps the parties arrive at their own solution. As evaluator, a lawyer examines a client's legal affairs and reports about them to the client or to others. Some of the advantages that would come out of this career choice are financial stability, and the ability to help people in need and assisting them in achieving their goals and being an expert in a field(s) of choice. Some of the disadvantages of this career choice is the amount of hard work it requires, time away from loved ones, dealing with clients that are not paying for the services rendered, and also dealing with clients, judges, and even other attorneys who may become unreasonable or obstructive to cases. Despite the responsibilities, a lawyer may possess, due to their high paying job.

Although the sky is the limit in terms of how much money an attorney can make, “all graduates of law school can earn up to $55k nine months”(Dawn 1), after and then depending upon what law school graduates want to do with their career will factor how much more they can earn. “Some lawyers earn up to $126k annually”(Dawn 1) and it can be higher as mentioned above, the success and dollar figure really depends upon what lawyers want and where lawyers want to go. The job outlook is there will always be a demand for attorneys. However, technology will in some ways force attorneys to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on their office staff and the attorneys will have to become more office and computer savvy.

To become a Lawyer, one must invest in a bachelors degree with seven years of law school education, possess skills such as adversary and empathy, and be able to handle stress. lawyers provide a helpful service to their clients. Being a lawyer means that a person must deal with loss on a regular routine, as well as giving wise pieces of advice to their clients. Based on the difficulty and complexity of a lawyers job, they make a high paying salary.