Lawyer Career Guide

For any type of issue, there is an attorney who can assist individuals in finding a resolution. While it may not always be an easy career path, attorneys play a vital role within our nation?s legal system.

Regardless of what type of law you are interested in practicing, becoming a lawyer requires an extended education. The first step is to obtain an undergraduate degree. As long as you can maintain a GPA above 3.0, it does not really matter what subject area you decide to major in, although it?s advisable to major in a related subject. Next, you must take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) before you can be accepted into a law school. Once accepted into law school, it typically takes about three years to obtain a law degree.

However, having a degree does not mean you are actually ready to practice law; in order to become a practicing attorney, you must pass the state bar examination for each state where you want to practice.

While the professional requirements and process remains the same, there is a wide range of practice areas that you can pursue while in law school. Just a few of the common types of attorneys include:

• Business lawyer
• Family lawyer
• Intellectual property lawyer
• Personal injury lawyer
• Real estate lawyer
• Tax lawyer

We interviewed actual attorneys one-on-one to help you learn more about this career path, including educational backgrounds, career paths, salaries, pros and cons, and more. Check out the career profiles below to learn more.