Educational Requirements for Civil Lawyers
- All aspiring civil lawyers must obtain an undergraduate bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university before attending law school. A bachelor's degree takes four years to complete and usually requires students to take classes in a range of fields. Students considering law school should major in a humanities field such as English, philosophy, politics, sociology or history. These majors tend to be writing-intensive and prepare students for the heavy amount of writing required in law school. Aspiring civil lawyers should also consider engaging in community service and participating in debate teams to boost their credentials.
- Civil lawyers must get what's called a juris doctor, or J.D., degree from an accredited law school. The admissions process for top law schools is very competitive, and only students with outstanding grades and LSAT scores are typically admitted. While in law school, aspiring civil lawyers take classes in contracts, property law, intellectual property law and constitutional law. During the last two years of law school, aspiring civil lawyers specialize in the specific sub-area of civil law in which they hope to work. They may also pursue internships with lawyers or firms that specialize in an area of civil law. Law school does not require a dissertation.
- All lawyers must pass the bar examination for the state in which they want to practice law. Different states have different laws and therefore have very different bar examinations in some cases. These tests require lots of studying and preparation outside of the normal law school curriculum, as they test an individual's knowledge of specific state laws. In some states outstanding students from "preferential" law schools may be admitted to the bar association without taking the exam.
- In many ways a civil lawyer's education is never fully complete, and most firms require their full-time lawyers to take continuing education classes throughout their career. These classes update lawyers on new laws or advances in technology related to the field. Continuing education classes are usually offered through local state bar associations, universities and other academic institutions.
