6 Degrees Of Separation

How To Qualify To Be An Attorney

The life of the attorneys as they are depicted in the movies or TV series or as depicted in the pages of crime thrillers is a far cry from the life attorneys actually lead in the real world. If you aspire to become an attorney one day, you must accept the fact that it is not all glamour and sensational like their TV counterparts, but instead is quite a tough and exhausting career. Often the work of the attorney takes preference over personal and family life, with no time or priority for anything else in between. Thus, becoming an attorney is definitely not child's play. Right from getting into law school to studying for and passing the bar exam, the road to becoming an attorney is tough and paved with many obstacles. Here is a brief discussion of the major qualifications that a budding lawyer should have:

The Degrees Required To Become An Attorney

To become an attorney you must have a law degree and you will also have to test and qualify for the J.D. degree, which stands for the Juris Doctor. Others may know or refer to the degree of J.D. as LL.B. Both are similar degrees, just with two different names. This is the basic law degree, equivalent to the Bachelor's degree, which allows a person to enter into the law profession. Without this basic degree you are not qualified to be an attorney.

Once you pass the first hurdle, the next step is to study and qualify for a Master's degree, otherwise known as LL.M. Students often converge on hubs such as New York and California to obtain this degree and jumpstart their career as an attorney.

Higher Levels Needed To Establish Successful Career As Attorney

If you are hungry for a successful law career as an attorney, you would have to study further. You could start out in research of legal matters. At first it may seem a lot to cover, but after getting your attorney degree you are likely to be more aware and focused o your area of interest that you would like to explore further.

When you obtain the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science, otherwise know as S.J.D. or J.S.D., this signifies that you have reached the upper echelon amongst fellow attorneys. Of course, even without this degree you are still a qualified attorney and allowed to practice law, but having the Doctoral degree really elevates your stature amongst your peers. Once you get to this level after years of labor and dedication, your success as an attorney is almost a certainty.

By Susan Chen

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