High School Classes to Become a Lawyer
High School Classes to Become a Lawyer
Lawyers must have a law degree and must also typically pass a state’s written bar examination. Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school.
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Subjects Needed to Become a Lawyer
What Makes a Good Lawyer? Common Traits of Successful Attorneys TodayPassion for the Job. As a starting point, successful lawyers almost always have a true passion for their job. ... Compassion for Clients. ... Great Communication Skills. ... Willingness to Listen. ... Knowledge of the Law. ... Strong Writing Ability. ... Creativity. ... Good Judgment.More items...•
The 7 Most Important Classes in Law SchoolCivil Procedure. If you're going to be a lawyer, you need to understand the ins and outs of how your court system works. ... Constitutional Law. ... Legal Research. ... Evidence. ... Business Law. ... Oral Advocacy. ... Legal Writing.
The first year of law school is a difficult year. As mentioned above, first year classes are graded on a strict curve so not many students receive A's. It is very intellectually challenging, requires a lot of hard work, and full-time students generally do not have much free time to dedicate to other interests.
Most students will take foundation courses in administrative law, civil litigation, commercial law, corporations, evidence, family law, professional responsibility, taxation, and wills and trusts before completing their degree.
Close reading and reasoning. Lawyers often need to quickly familiarize themselves with relatively large passages of previously unknown text, so classes that involve reading literature very important for developing these skills.
By learning about science, future lawyers can develop the skills they need to understand various pieces of evidence, use them to investigate cases and connect all the available information to come up with a reasonable conclusion. 5. Mathematics.
Their exact duties and responsibilities are: 1 Providing expert advice to clients regarding potential legal issues that they may expose themselves to or ongoing litigations 2 Analyzing all documents involved in a legal case against their clients, such as witness accounts, police reports, accident reports and other official documents 3 Using their knowledge of the law to find passages and precedents that may then be used in the defense of their clients 4 Working with their clients to develop the most appropriate strategy for each situation, based on the particularities of each legal case 5 Preparing various civil legal documents, such as wills, deeds and contracts 6 Appearing in court before a judge and using legal rhetoric to defend their clients' interests
Lawyers generally need to have extensive knowledge of any subject that can describe and influence society, such as economics, history, politics, government affairs and other similar ones. Taking a social studies class can help you understand concepts like how laws and regulations are made, how legal procedures and precedents work and other similar concepts that are vital for successfully practicing law.
Therefore, mathematics is an important aspect of the job, as the skills you acquire when learning how to solve math problems are usually transferrable to several aspects of the law.
Once you've earned your bachelor's degree, you can take the law school admission test (LSAT). It mainly consists of multiple-choice questions and tests the candidates' knowledge in areas like critical thinking, reading comprehension, reasoning, argumentation and other important skills for future lawyers.
Lawyers, also called attorneys, are tasked with advising their clients and representing them in civil and criminal cases. Their responsibilities span from simply offering legal advice to preparing legal documents on behalf of the client and ultimately representing the client in front of a court of law.
Some of the classes and extra circular activities that prepare students for careers in litigation are: 1 Alternative Dispute Resolution classes 2 Trial Advocacy classes 3 Moot Court or a similar program (which is often taken for credit) 4 Civil Procedure 5 Evidence 6 Clinics (i.e. patent law clinic, cancer clinic, disability clinic – your school may have a variety of these!)
One of the goals of law school is to develop intellectuals for the practice of law or other professional fields. It is also a good idea to achieve balance with your schedule and take a variety of classes. You will find it helpful to achieve balance if your classes vary in difficulty and assignments. It is okay, and certainly advisable, ...
3. Classes that Interest you .
You will find it helpful to achieve balance if your classes vary in difficulty and assignments. It is okay, and certainly advisable, to take some easier classes with your harder classes, like Evidence, Corporations, or Constitutional Law II, for example.
While your law school may not teach the law of the jurisdiction in which you are taking the bar, many courses that teach the majority rule will prepare you to more readily learn the law of your state. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence, for example, both provide road maps to help students understand similar concepts in their state’s ...
Likewise, studying for the bar exam is a stressful time, but this preparation period can be made a lot less stressful when students are reviewing material instead of learning many new subjects. The classes that will best prepare you for the bar exam will depend on where you are taking the bar.
Political Science. This is one of the more popular degrees for pre-law students. Political science degrees are designed to expose students to the intricate nature of a complex judicial system. Politics and law go hand in hand, and these courses teach students about how our laws are both structured and carried out.
A legal education will build on writing and analytical thinking, so courses that showcase a candidate's ability to excel in these areas will look good on an undergraduate transcript. Students must show a strong command of the English language through writing, reading, and speaking. While most students will find that their writing styles will ...
Admissions officers look favorably on transcripts that show that a student has both practiced these skills and has done well in courses that require them. Two of the most important components of the law school application are the GPA and LSAT score.
Disciplines that study human behavior can also be useful, including both psychology and sociology. They involve critical thinking and analysis, two valuable legal skills. Many students will also benefit from exploring courses in criminology, anthropology, and even religion.
A business major, in particular, covers many subjects that a student will encounter in law school. Courses within this major include reading, writing, speaking, and learning about contracts, all skills that will provide a solid foundation for students ultimately seeking a law degree. Many business courses also cover basic analytics skills.