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High School|College|Law School|Professionals

How to Become a Lawyer--for High School Students

Steps to Becoming an Attorney:

Graduate from high school
Graduate with a four-year degree from college
Prepare for and take the LSAT
Apply for law school
Secure financial aid
Attend law school (usually 3 years)
Take the Bar Exam
Take a Professional Responsibility test

Practicing law requires long hours, lots of work, and the ability to think rationally and logically. For these reasons, many core high school classes, such as English and social studies, are very important to create the foundation needed for success in college, law school, and in the practice of law.

See also How to Get into Law School.

Any high school student who wants to become a lawyer should focus on:

Good grades
Learning to write logically and clearly
Expressing a clear, logical opinion on an issue
Reading and understanding longer pieces of information
Learning to work with different types of people

Recommended extracurricular activities:

Debate
Speech
Journalism/Newspaper
Writing competitions
SAT/ACT/PSAT preparation
Advanced Placement classes
Student government

The practice of law involves a great deal of responsibility and requires a license from the state. Individuals who want to become lawyers should be able to work with people and be able to win the respect and confidence of their clients, co-workers, and others.

Lawyers must be law-abiding and before becoming a lawyer, applicants must submit to a criminal background check. Some states will not allow convicted felons to obtain a license.

Important Links for High School Students:

What high school classes should you take to become a lawyer?

Is it necessary to have a 4.0 average to be a lawyer?

Is it required you go to law school to be a lawyer or can you just pass the bar exam and get sworn in?

Additional links:

Common Questions
PSAT
SAT
ACT
Houston Urban Debate League
Black Pre-Law Conference
CLEO Programs
Choose Law
NBA Crump Law Camp
High School Prep for Law School
Law Games and Programs
Law as a Career Handbook
Law Kid Zone (Houston Bar Association)
Law Day (Houston Bar Association)

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