Law Degree

A  Law Degree is a Professional Degree usually earned after three years of full-time or four years of study after earning a bachelor's degree. One of the main purposes of the Law Degree is to provide the professional training for those who wish to become lawyers.  A Law Degree is required for admission to the bar in nearly all U.S. states.

Some schools offer bachelor degrees in pre-law but nearly any major is acceptable to pursue a Law Degree.  Frequently, those in the law field hold undergraduate degrees in such fields as criminal justice, accounting, international relations, political science, English, history, business, or economics.

Entry into law school is contingent on an above average performance as an undergraduate student and an acceptable score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Different schools will require different scores, and the most prestigious institutions in the United States only accept the top percentage of applicants.

When we think about people who have a Law Degree, we think of lawyers arguing cases in courtrooms full of drama and a Judge overseeing the proceedings.  The lawyer is usually grilling witnesses and arguing with the judge and the other lawyers present. In reality, most lawyers or attorneys do not get to argue cases in a courtroom, and those that do are typically involved in more common court proceedings such as DWI, drug, theft or assault cases. For every hour spent in the courtroom, many more are spent doing research, conducting interviews, or writing documents in preparation for a courtroom case or litigation. To be an outstanding, sort after attorney requires excellent communication skills.  Most attorneys have jobs that involve a great deal of paperwork and red tape. There are even some individuals with a law degree that never practice law at all. A Law Degree can open many doors in other fields, business as well as the legal.

Usuallyl, those with law degrees decide to become lawyers. Not all of them end up as trial lawyers making arguments in a courtroom, however; there are many other roles for lawyers, some of which require little courtroom time.  A lawyer, also called an attorney, has extensive knowledge so that they can understand and interpret the laws of our states and country.  Their primary role is to provide guidance to others in regards to what is lawful and what is not and to protect the rights of those who are unable to due to the lack of knowledge on how the law works.