Law School

Attending law school is a top priority for many ambitious and smart college graduates. Fortunately, there are hundreds of law schools in the United States offering spots for the tens of thousands of applicants from undergraduate programs each year.

Successful law school applicants are intelligent and hardworking with a strong undergraduate record to prove it. Many students who plan to attend law school major in political science, international relations or another related field that hones their research, writing and critical thinking skills, all of which are needed in law school.

Law school students learn how to analyze and build a case by studying hundreds of famous cases that have set important precedents in different areas of the law. Whether presenting your case before a small-town judge or the U.S. Supreme Court, lawyers largely draw from the same methodology and reasoning.

Law schools are important for developing not only future lawyers but also business executives, bankers, politicians and social justice advocates. Because of this, much of the students’ informal training occurs outside of the law school classroom. They may participate in moot, or practice, court; write for the law review; volunteer for pro bono work; or participate in a summer internship that builds their skills and enables them to network with leaders in the field.

Full-time students can complete law school in approximately three years, but there are also many part-time programs for people who must continue working while earning their degree. Police officers and other criminal justice workers often take this route toward earning a degree in law.

Accredited Law School

Before sitting for the bar exam and practicing law, a student must first get a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at an accredited law school. There are currently two hundred law schools in the U.S. that are accredited by the American Bar Association.

Competition to get into a top-tier law school, such as Yale, Harvard, Stanford, or Columbia is incredibly fierce. A number of factors are considered for admittance into law school. One of the primary factors is a student’s undergraduate academic record. The law school will review a student’s undergraduate transcript; many schools set thresholds with respect to acceptable undergraduate grade point averages.

Another key factor reviewed by a prospective law school is a student’s score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The LSAT exam is a standardized test administered four times a year. The test generally takes four hours to complete.

Each prospective law school student must take the LSAT. The students at Yale, the top-ranking law school by U.S. News & World Report, generally have LSAT scores in the range of 171 to 176. Students attending school at the 100th leading law school, Syracuse University, typically score between 153 and 157 on the LSAT.

In addition to academic history and LSAT scores, a law school will also consider a student’s references and personal statement.

When considering which law school to attend, first verify the school’s accreditation status. The next most influential factors are cost, location, admission criteria, and areas of specialization. A student should also research the percentage of graduating students passing the bar exam on their first attempt, and the percentage of how many secure employment in a legal capacity within a year of graduation.

Paralegal Certification

The term paralegal is used somewhat interchangeably with the term legal assistant. A paralegal certification is a professional designation that provides instant credibility. A paralegal certification demonstrates that a legal professional has a fundamental knowledge of legal procedures, research, legal analysis, and ethics. In addition, the certification validates the person’s foundation in legal communications and that he has received training in legal writing.

Paralegals work in many different sectors and settings, including law firms (70 percent), government and government agencies, mortgage banks, and corporations. Paralegals work under the direction of a licensed attorney. A person who has obtained paralegal certification performs his duties to the extent of his skills and background, but an attorney oversees those duties. For example, a paralegal could prepare 100 percent of the closing documentation needed for a residential real estate closing transaction, but the attorney is the person who signs the documents. The attorney is legally and ethically required to review the paralegal’s work for accuracy and appropriateness.

A paralegal’s work is typically billed to clients; however, paralegal rates are substantially lower than attorney rates. For example, a paralegal could charge $125 an hour, while the attorney on the case could charge $250 an hour. Clients find value in having paralegals assigned to casework because it saves them money when the task does not necessarily involve advanced legal skill.

However, a paralegal does not generally earn the amount that is billed for his time. According to the 2006 Occupational Employment Statistics survey program (OES), the average salary for a paralegal working in a legal services environment (law firm) is $41,460 a year. A paralegal working for the federal government earns an average of $56,080 annually.

The National Association of Legal Assistants grants paralegal certificates; it has been doing so since the mid-1970s. A prerequisite to a paralegal certification is an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a legal assistant program that meets minimum credit hour requirements and is approved by the American Bar Association.