How long does it take to get the necessary credentials needed to land jobs as a lawyer
How many years do you need to study law?
It is a question often asked by people who aspire to be lawyers but are yet to begin their pursuit for the necessary credentials. There is no fixed period in which you should have completed your law studies; how long you take will depends on your mode of study and how fast you get through one level in order to qualify for the next. For instance, will you pass the LSAT examination the first time you attempt it?
Before you can call yourself a lawyer, you need to have an undergraduate degree, pass the LSAT examination, and then go to law school.
Currently, you do not need any specific degree to qualify for law school.
However, it is important to consider your choices wisely. Most students take undergraduate degrees in philosophy, history, criminology, psychology and others that better prepare them for their law career. It takes two and half years to five years to complete an undergraduate degree if you attend as a full-time student. If you enroll as a part time student, it will take you longer.
After earning your bachelor’s degree, the next stage involved is passing the LSAT examination.
This generally takes a year because of the study time needed and available testing dates. Note that you can considerably reduce the amount of time you will spend earning your credentials by studying for the LSAT examination while undertaking your undergraduate degree. Using this strategy, you can take the test when it is next available immediately after getting your undergraduate degree. This way, you reduce the amount of time you need to transition from undergraduate school to law school.
It takes three years to get through law school. You should be careful to note that you cannot learn at your own pace in Law School; you have to complete your studies within the time allocated which as stated above, is typically three years.
Here, you will earn your Juris Doctors (JD) Degree. With this credential, you are permitted to practice law in the United States. You can then take the bar exam which takes around six months of study to prove your competence and be allowed to practice law in the state where you take it.