The column this week will focus on what it takes to become a licensed attorney. Perhaps area high school students, college students home on Christmas break, or parents will find this interesting and helpful.
If you or someone you care about is thinking about becoming an attorney, or a “lawyer,” then planning and preparation are important. Also, it is vital to understand the roles that lawyers play in society and consider whether you would feel comfortable in that role. Lawyers fill many roles as civil and criminal defense counsel, prosecutors and plaintiffs’ counsel, state Family Court, Magistrate Court, and Circuit Court judges — and state Supreme Court justices. Lawyers also sit on federal District Court benches, Appeals Courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Many U.S. Presidents have been attorneys, including Abraham Lincoln. Of the 45 different U.S. Presidents, 26 were attorneys.
There are many bankers, professors, stock brokers, business persons, legislators, medical personnel, and even a few professional athletes or coaches, who have law degrees, but do not actively practice law. In my law school class at WVU, I even counted a licensed medical doctor as a classmate. I currently have a case where opposing counsel spent the first part of her career as a registered nurse. Law school will help you to learn how to assess and analyze issues, apply law to a unique set of facts and to persuasively write or speak about a subject. That subject could fundamentally alter a client’s life, or even change the law in a jurisdiction.
I previously thought that an undergraduate education in English, history or political science was the best avenue for admission to law school. However, really it is up to the individual.
The critical part is to have a “good to great” grade point average (GPA) in whatever field you study. Equally as important, if not more important, is the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This standardized, multiple choice test is administered seven times per year and lasts a half-day. The LSAT tests reading comprehension, logical and verbal reasoning proficiency, and problem solving. The LSAT is designed to be a predictor of law school success.
Law schools use a combination of the GPA and LSAT scores, and an applicant’s overall application, to determine admission. Certainly, most law schools want the best and brightest in their midst and higher scores mean higher national rankings for the law schools. If you are student, I will presume you have the undergraduate part down and you are likely to finish with a 3.0 or higher GPA. You should strive for as high an LSAT score as possible. The LSAT group will send you a small test prep book for practicing. Do not rely solely upon that prep book. Find a way to take a paid prep course — most are available online.
The few hundred dollars in cost for such a course can reap untold dividends. I had a friend who kept performing poorly on the LSAT, and denied admission to her preferred law school, until I convinced her to take a paid course. She took the course, performed much better, was accepted to her preferred school, and is now a practicing attorney.
While it was difficult at times (especially the first year), and very challenging, I enjoyed my three years at the WVU College of Law. I made many new, long-term friends and even introduced one of my brothers to a classmate, who later became his wife and mother to their children. Overall, a well-rounded law school experience can certainly prepare someone for many different professional fields.
However, if you want to actually practice law, the bar exam looms.
The bar exam is a PASS/FAIL exam. In order to become a licensed attorney, the graduated law student must pass a state bar exam and be approved for licensure by their local state bar, which also assesses character fitness. The bar exam is a grueling two-day test that covers every subject, and more, taught in law school.
It is in an essay and multiple choice format. Subjects such as contracts, trusts, criminal and civil procedure, evidence, sales and secured transactions, property, family law and torts are covered. It is a timed test and every minute is crucial. I highly recommend taking a paid prep course for this as well.
Preparation for the bar exam should be like a job, attended to daily and with consistency. The top student in my law school class failed the bar exam, because he was not adept at timed multiple choice tests. I count the following as one of the best days of my life. In 1999, I was a recent law school graduate waiting on bar results. I was working at the Greenbrier County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
I was allowed to practice law with supervision under a special limited practice “Rule 10” for students. I remember the need to check my bar results at the old Greenbrier County Library, which had one computer with internet access. During a break from court I walked to the library with great trepidation. I nervously accessed the bar exam results website, scrolled to my bar exam number and saw “PASS.” The term elated would be putting it mildly. I do not remember the walk back to the courthouse; it felt as if I were walking on air.
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