A Lawyer who is also sometimes referred to as a Counsellor, Attorney, or Advocate is a professional who is qualified to provide legal advice and represent their clients in legal matters. These practitioners provide their services to non-profit businesses, individuals, government, and non-profit organizations.
In this particular article, I will be sharing about the journey and how long it take to become a Lawyer. Keep reading till the end of the article to find out more information about the same!
Procedure Of Becoming A Lawyer
Here is a list of steps that you need to follow to become a Lawyer:
1. Complete Your Higher Secondary Education
The first and foremost step that you need to complete is getting that higher secondary education in any of these streams – science, commerce, or arts. To aid you in getting a strong general knowledge for a career in Law, subjects like political science, sociology, history, and economics are going to help.
2. Get A Bachelor’s Degree
You are also going to have to get a Bachelor’s degree in any particular discipline to be eligible for getting a Law degree. One popular choice that you could opt for after completing your Higher Secondary Education is an LLB/BA integrated Law course. Or, you could also opt for pursuing a bachelor’s degree like BA, BCom, BSc, etc.
A few great options that you could opt for your UG studies are:
- Bachelors in Economics, Political Science and History
- BSc in Criminology, Forensic Science
- BCom in Business Law, Accounting
3. Complete Your LLB Degree
The immediate next step that you would be required to do is complete your 3 years Bachelor’s program in LLB/Law.
During this program, you are going to study subjects like Civil Law, Tax Law, Corporate Law, Constitutional Law, Cyber Law, Family Law, etc. You are also going to be able to develop your analytical, writing, and legal research skills.
Keep reading till the end of the article to find out more information about “how long does it take to become a Lawyer”!
4. Enroll With The Bar Council
After you are done completing your LLB degree, you will be required to register as an Advocate with any governing or regulating body to officially get declared a legal practitioner. Doing so is absolutely mandatory within 6 months after completing your graduation course in Law. For such an enrollment, you are also going to have to submit a lot of important documents.
Now, this step might differ based on the place where you reside. Make sure to check in with the laws of your state and its legalities concerning this matter.
5. Consider Getting Even Higher Degrees
Even though it is not compulsory, you could choose to pursue even higher law degrees to advance and specialize in your career. For instance, you could choose to get a PhD, LLM, etc. Consider enrolling in the top colleges in your area, for this.
6. Get Practical Experience
Getting hands-on experience before becoming a legal practitioner is going to be very important and prepare you a whole lot in advancing towards a successful career. Here are a few options to do the same after completing your course in LLB – Paralegal Assistant Work, participating in Moot Courts, Complete Internships, volunteering at Legal aid clinics, etc.
Choosing The Best Law School
It is very important for you to select a good Law Practitioning School to become a successful Lawyer. Make sure that you are choosing an institution that has been approved by a strong governing body. The institution that you select must also have a good reputation for excellence in placements and education. When choosing an institution\, you also need to make sure that you are considering the distance from your home, job opportunities, and living expenses in the city.
You also need to learn about the competition’s success, student activities, and the alumni network associated with the institution that you are going to select. This is going to indicate the quality of the institution.
How Long Does It Take To Become One?
Now you might wonder how long does it take to become a Lawyer? Well, the total time that it takes is between 5-8 years of studying to become a full-time Lawyer – and this is only after you have already completed your Higher Secondary education.
The actual time that you need also depends on the exact Law career path that you choose. For instance, if you wish to pursue a course in Integrated Law then the total time that it is going to take you to complete your degree is 5 years. However, if you take Law right after completing your higher secondary graduation then it is going to take you 6-8 years in total to obtain a Law Degree.
You might find yourself wondering how long does it take to become a Immigration Lawyer? As is told, the total time that it takes to become an Immigration Lawyer is at least 7 years of study – after having passed out of high school. Then after attaining the Juris degree, they need an additional few more months to pass the Bar Exam.
Is There A Difference Between A Lawyer And An Advocate?
Lawyers are people who have only graduated from School but have not completed their Bar Exam. The Advocates on the other hand are legal professionals who might have passed the Bar exam and can act as legal representatives. All of the Advocates are Lawyers but not the vice-versa.
To Wrap It Up!
Let the long journey not deter you from your decision to become a Lawyer. If you have always been keen on providing justice to the people who deserve it then this career path is going to be great for you.
Thank you for reading this article up till here. I hope you found the information about “how long does it take to become a lawyer” to be useful.
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