Law Inside 2010

Those given the responsibility to uphold and protect our laws are often called lawyers or attorneys. A law degree is required to practice law. The demands of law school are fierce and one should be well committed to completion and well prepared before beginning.

The requirement is a four year undergraduate degree, often in pre-law or political science, criminal justice, business or English. Acceptance into law school is based on performance as an undergraduate and an acceptable score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Usually only the highest achievers, those with the best test scores, are admitted into law school.

Law school consist of three to four years of additional schooling. After the end of these studies they earn a juris doctor (JD) only then can they apply to take a written bar exam for the state they plan to practice. Dedication and hard work are required to undergo this rigorous training.

What does it mean to “practice law” in America? The law is the regulations and rules included in our legal codes and constitution. To practice law is to enforce, defend and protect those laws. Laws set the boundaries which business and people interact lawfully. Laws can be as simple as being required to stop at a stop sign or as complex as the national tax code.

The areas of practice are as diverse almost as the professionals themselves and are specialized in each state. From Philadelphia social security disability to Utah’s immigration laws and regulations, lawyers must not only study and learn law on a national level but what is going on in their individual state, that is why the bar exam is specific for each state.

Gather all the information available before beginning the quest, be a dedicated student, do well on the LSAT, continue a rigorous study while in law school and your dreams of defending the law will be realized.

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