how to become a lawyer with a business degree

What Is a Business Lawyer: Everything You Need to Know

1. Complete an Undergraduate Degree Program. The first step to becoming a business lawyer is earning an undergraduate degree. ...
2. Take the LSAT Exam. The next step is taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and sending in the scores along with grad school applications.
3. Graduate From Law School. ...
4. Pass the Bar Exam. ...

Full Answer

How hiring a business lawyer can help your small business?

Oct 12, 2010 · Career Requirements. Step 1: Complete an Undergraduate Degree Program. The majority of law schools require that aspiring law students possess a bachelor's degree. Step 2: Take the LSAT. Step 3: Graduate from Law School. Step 4: Take a …

Does your business need a lawyer?

Business lawyers advise their clients on legal matters and may draft legal contracts or documents that need to be filed in court. They may also represent their client in court if necessary. Business lawyers are required to have a Juris Doctor degree, and they also need to pass the bar exam.

How to find the best lawyer for your business?

Oct 20, 2021 · To practice business law, an individual must earn a Juris Doctorate from a law school. While a general JD can qualify one to become a lawyer, those pursuing careers in business law may want to narrow their focus with a business law specialization. A few options available include: Dual Master of Business Administration/Juris Doctorate

How to choose a lawyer for your business?

Jul 23, 2021 · Follow these steps to become a corporate attorney: 1. Earn a bachelor's degree One of the first steps to becoming a corporate attorney is to earn your bachelor's degree in a related discipline, which can include business, finance, political science, legal studies, government and economics, from an accredited college or university.

What Types of Companies Hire Business Lawyers?

Before entering law school, you may want to consider which business sector appeals to you. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), lawyers may work in a variety of industries, including construction, intellectual property, insurance, mortgage and waste disposal ( www.bls.gov ).

What Education and Training Do I Need?

The BLS states that there isn't a preferred or recommended pre-law degree; however, you may want to consider a multi-disciplinary program. Accounting, business administration and finance are just a few possibilities for relevant majors.

What Happens After I Complete My Juris Doctor?

Once you've earned a J.D. from an American Bar Association-approved institution, you will need to take and pass the Bar exam. In general, you will take the Bar in the state where you plan to work.

What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?

Postsecondary teachers, judges, and mediators all have careers that involve some similarities to the work that business lawyers do. Postsecondary teachers need a master's or doctoral degree. They may instruct students in subjects such as law or business, and provide the educational foundation for future business attorneys.

Why is a business lawyer important?

The business lawyer plays a very important role at the point where the business and legal worlds intersect, adding value and performing a valuable service for the client.

What are the benefits of being a business lawyer?

In short, business law is incredibly financially and intellectually rewarding. You will likely earn a high salary, and you will work with your clients to help them achieve their business goals (some of which can be as newsworthy as Facebook’s).

What documents do business lawyers need to draft?

For example, a business lawyer representing a bank in a lending transaction must draft the necessary documents, such as the loan agreement, promissory note, and security agreement, with an eye toward protecting the bank and ensuring that the borrower is obligated to pay the loan back in the manner requested by the bank.

What is business law?

Business law covers a wide range of legal areas and applies to many different types of business activities. The legal issues that a business lawyer faces may involve corporate law, partnership law, banking law, sales law, securities law, or some combination of the above.

What is the American Bar Association?

Last but certainly not least, the American Bar Association advises anyone interested in a legal career, regardless of the chosen specialty, to pursue educational, extracurricular, and life experiences that will foster the strengths and abilities needed for success in the legal world.

Business Careers

Are you considering career options? There are a host of careers available in the world of business. Examples of exciting business careers include:

What Is Business Law?

Business law is a broad field with many specializations, but it generally deals with anything having to do with the legalities of running a business. Some specializations include intellectual property, real estate, and transactions.

Jobs in Business Law

What business law jobs are available to those with a business law degree? There are several practicing and non-practicing career options for those with a business law degree. These business law job opportunities utilize the skills learned in a business law program as well as various undergraduate programs.

Salary and Outlook for Business Law Careers

Business law careers vary, and the expected salary attached to each job can vary as well. The majority of business law careers appear to be growing at an average rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The following chart outlines salary and job outlook for several common business law careers.

What is a corporate lawyer?

A corporate lawyer is an attorney who represents the company they work for. It's common for a larger business, and small companies too, to hire corporate attorneys to make sure it's in compliance for its industry and following all rules and regulations.

Corporate lawyer salary

The national average salary for a corporate lawyer in the United States is $130,857 per year, although your years of experience, education, skill set and geographical location can affect your salary.

Skills for a corporate lawyer

Here are some skills that corporate attorneys possess that help them find success in their career:

Jobs for a corporate lawyer

If working in the law field is something you're passionate about, there are many jobs to consider. Here are 10 jobs similar to a corporate lawyer:

What does it mean to be a lawyer?

As a lawyer, you may represent clients in court, or you may offer legal advice regarding personal and business affairs. Either way, your job involves researching laws and judicial decisions that you can apply to a client's particular situation. You may choose to specialize in a particular type of law, such as environmental, intellectual property, ...

What do lawyers do?

Lawyers will consult with clients and provide legal advice on how to address their issues. They may prepare filings for court, represent their client in a mediation or court proceeding, or other negotiations.

What is a clerkship in law?

Clerkships allow you to gain experience by working in a law firm, corporate office or government agency. For some, a clerkship can lead to an employment offer following graduation from law school.

What degree do paralegals need?

Paralegals and legal assistants need an associate's degree, and typically work in law offices. They assist lawyers by preparing documents and information related to the cases they're working on. Judges and hearing officers are responsible or hearing the arguments of both sides in a case or dispute.

Do you need a bachelors degree to become an arbitrator?

Arbitrators, mediators and conciliators are only required to have a bachelor's degree and they do not take sides, but attempt to work with opposing sides in a dispute to reach an agreement about how to resolve the dispute.

Why do lawyers need to take classes?

Aspiring lawyers should take classes that involve extensive reading and writing so that they can become better readers and writers, since those skills are critical to most legal jobs, according to law school professors.

What is the best background for a family lawyer?

A background in counseling or social work can be helpful for family lawyers. Some people combine a J.D. with a Master of Social Work, or MSW, credential. Federal judicial clerkships. Achieving stellar grades in law school usually is necessary to become a clerk in a federal court.

Why is drama important in law school?

Those extracurricular activities allow students to develop their capacity to argue persuasively, lawyers explain, adding that drama also provides solid preparation for a legal career since the performing arts emphasize public speaking skills.

Why is it important to take standardized tests for law school?

If you intend to pursue a J.D., a strong standard ized test score improves your odds of law school acceptance, so it is essential for law school hopefuls to thoroughly prepare for whichever test they opt to take.

Is an MBA required for a business lawyer?

Business law. A business lawyer who has both an MBA and a J.D. may be more marketable than someone who has only has a J.D., though an MBA is not absolutely necessary to work in this field. Corporate law.

Laying the Groundwork

After graduating from the University of Virginia, I moved to San Francisco, where I worked in customer success at two startups. My roles involved talking to clients, creating customer-training materials, and understanding the technical aspects of the platform for support purposes.

Filling the Knowledge Gap

After my first year of law school, I felt like something was missing from my legal education. Specifically, I noticed a gap in my knowledge around finance, accounting, and corporate strategy.

Through a Different Lens

Both programs look at business issues through a different yet complimentary lens. For example, I have taken the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) course offered at both schools. The GSM M&A course dives into assessing the strategic advantages of an acquisition and ultimately challenged us to propose a future acquisition of two real-world companies.

Building My Career Path (s)

As a law and business school student at UC Davis, I've had the opportunity to learn from both tech entrepreneurs in the Bay Area and larger research and development firms in the greater Northern California region.

What are the steps to become a lawyer?

Prospective lawyers must undertake a series of steps to practice law, including completion of undergraduate and graduate degrees, examinations and licensing processes. Prior to embarking in this journey, those interested should ask themselves why they want to become a lawyer and if they are willing to commit several years to studying law in order ...

What skills do lawyers need to be successful?

These skills share a common trait--they are relied upon by lawyers in all legal fields. Law school teaches future lawyers how to think like a lawyer, and critical thinking and reading are the basis for judgment and evaluation. Students learn how to critically analyze their own thinking process.

How much do lawyers make in 2020?

The BLS reports that the median annual wage for lawyers was about $126,930 in 2020, with the top 10 percent of earners taking home more than $208,000 per year. Those working in state and local government tend to earn less while lawyers specializing in financial and insurance law are in the top bracket.

What majors do prelaws have?

Common undergraduate majors for prelaw students include English, political science, economics, business, philosophy, and journalism.

How long does it take to get a JD?

The degree typically takes about three years of full-time study to complete. According to the ABA, there are currently 205 approved higher education providers. Not to be confused with other degrees such as the Doctor of Science of Law, the JD is a professional degree specifically designed to train future lawyers and prepare them for the bar examination.

What is the job of a lawyer?

Lawyer Career Basics. Lawyers are licensed by their state’s bar association to represent clients on a wide range of legal matters. Law is a broad field, but professionals typically provide legal advice, perform research, gather information, draft legal documents, and more.

How long does it take to become a barrister?

The degree typically takes about three years of full-time study to complete. According to the ABA, there are currently 205 approved higher education providers.