What would be my steps to become a lawyer?
Question by fartezoid: What would be my steps to become a lawyer?
I am going to start my freshman year in college this year when I graduate from high school in June. I want to be a lawyer for medical malpractice and/or accident attorney.
What exactly would you call the type of lawyer I want to be, I want to focus on people who are victims of medical malpractice (sue the doctor!)
What courses should I take, what would be the “field on interest” that I am supposed to say when I am asked what I want to be? Because “lawyer” sounds very vague.
Is there a difference between attorney and lawyer? O_O
Best answer:
Answer by Drew
A lawyer and an attorney are the same thing.
Lawyers have specialties, just like most other professions. Just like there are many fields you could specialize in as a doctor, there are many fields of law that you can specialize in as an attorney. And just like a doctor, there is a basic knowledge that you have to have.
Your best bet is to talk with a counselor at your college of choice. Some colleges call them counselors, some call them student assistants, some call them other things. It is the person that assists you with scheduling and other issues. Someone is assigned to you, and you should find out who that is. Tell them what your interest is and they will be able to provide you information on the correct program track to follow.
However, be aware that you will not be a lawyer after 4 years. You will need to complete your undergraduate degree (pre-law and political science are good majors), which is your 4 year degree (bachelors degree). You will then have the privilege of spending another 3-5 years in law school, which is graduate level coursework. It isn’t a bad idea to start looking at law schools to see what their admissions requirements are so you know what you should be aiming for. All of this information can be found on their school websites these days. When you go to law school there are going to be some courses that everyone takes (just like in high school and college) and then some elective courses. The electives you choose should be geared toward the area of law you choose to practice. In your case, it sounds like litigation is what you want.
Once you graduate from law school, you will have to “pass the bar”. The “bar” is a very difficult exam. If you pass it, you are “admitted to the bar”, which means you are an attorney who is licensed in your state to practice law. You have to test for each state that you want to practice in.
What do you think? Answer below!