Becoming a corporate lawyer requires at least seven years of post-secondary education, including a four-year degree, three years of law school, and passing the bar exam. Pre-law courses and work experience can be helpful, and focusing on corporate law in law school is beneficial. Passing the bar exam is necessary to practice law, and requirements vary by location.
To become a corporate lawyer, that is, a lawyer who advises companies, typically requires at least seven years of post-secondary education. An aspiring corporate attorney—or corporate attorney, as someone in that law practice is also called—generally must earn a four-year degree and then attend three years of law school. After law school, you must successfully pass a licensing exam to be admitted to the bar to become a corporate attorney. This licensing exam is called the bar exam.
Studying to become a corporate attorney can start before you even start college. Being a lawyer requires a huge amount of texts. If you are still in high school, it will be beneficial to take classes that will improve your persuasion, explanation and other skills. Being a strong writer will not only help you in your future career as a lawyer, but it will also help you successfully complete college and law school writing exams. Courses in areas that develop critical thinking, such as philosophy, political science, ethics, and psychology, can also help you in your goal of becoming a corporate lawyer.
A specific four-year program is not required if you want to gain admission to law school. Many people looking to major in English law, political science, government or other areas. A multidisciplinary and comprehensive program that develops communication, research, analytical and logical thinking skills is more important than the specific course. When you hear the term “pre-law”, it doesn’t refer to a specific college, but to the courses you take in a four-year program that will help you develop the skills you need to become a lawyer. A college advisor can help you select the best courses and programs for your specific goals.
Your college grades, your performance on entrance exams and personal interviews, and your previous work experience are some of the factors that law schools may consider for admission. How the factors are weighted differs depending on the schools. When looking for law schools in your quest to become a corporate attorney, consider schools that specialize in corporate law.
While attending law school, you are expected to take certain core courses in earlier years. In the following years, you will be able to focus your studies on corporate law. Working on the school’s corporate legal journal and attending school-sponsored legal clinics will be beneficial if you want to become a corporate lawyer. You can also look for part-time or summer jobs with corporate legal departments while you are in law school.
After law school, you will need to pass the exam to become a corporate lawyer. The bar exam varies by location. In the United States, passing the bar exam admits you to the bar in the state in which you take it. If you want to practice in a different state, you will usually have to take the bar exam. Some states also require you to pass an ethics exam.
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