How do I get from high school to law?

[anonymous_A]

Im 15 years old and a freshman in high school. Im planning on being a lawyer.  I have no clue on what classes i should be taking and exactly how good of grades i have to have in order to get into law school.im a A-b student. if you could help in anyway that would be great.
                      thank you so much
                       
also any info you could tell me to get started in law would be greatl.

[Andrew]

Hopefully some people will add to my answer, but just to tell you the basics:

To be a lawyer you have to go to law school.  Most law schools require a college degree.  So you have to go to college (4 years) and then law school (3 years).  Then you'd have your Juris Doctor degree (JD).  You then take the BAR exam, pass (or take it again until you pass), and begin practicing law.

As far as classes and grades go...  As a general rule, the better your grades, the better your educational options.  It seems to me that the college you go to is far less important than how you do there, so study hard in college.  Your grades in law school and the reputation of the school will affect your job options, so it's ideal to study hard and go to a good school.  However, there are schools for all levels and pretty much anyone can go to law school and get a law degree (hence the late night "Have you been injured in an auto accident?..." commercials you see on TV).

Finally, you should know that there are lots of law related jobs, and it's not just lawyers that work with legal issues.  Some people take a year or two after college to work as a legal assistant or paralegal to see if they like the work before making the 3 year $75,000 commitment to go to law school.

This is really just a starting point to bring you up to speed on the whole process.  Any other questions?

[carrie roseborough]

good morning everyone and how are you doing this fine morning?And me iam waiting for my aunt to come and go for
lunch and then come back after.

[carrie roseborough]

good morning everyone and how are you doing this fine morning?And me iam waiting for my aunt to come and go for
lunch and then come back after.

[laura ross]

hi
i have been wanting to be a lawyer for years. I have been reading and taking notes on information i think i need to be a lawyer. I do not know where to begin. I am only 14 years old and waiting to find out where to start. I have been studying hard and getting all A's. So i am ready to work hard and study.I have visited many web sites but i think this one is great. I am going to try to be on the debate team next year in 9th grade and taking law and citizen in high school to.plz tell me what u think and how 2 help me. This is what i want to be and will strive for it.well goodbye.
laura

[RyanTX]

I am 25 and graduated from undergrad 3 years ago.  I've been working in 2 positions totally unrelated to the law, and was just accepted at the University of Texas for law school, where I will go in the fall.  I give you this background because from a very young age, I wanted to be a lawyer.  I really enjoyed participating in a Boy Scout's Law Explorer's Post (I was not in the BSA - the program is open to all) and in my school's model judiciary.  Check around your area and see if any of these options are available.  As for prep - work hard, get involved with extracurriculars at your school, get good grades, and go to a good school for undergrad.  When you get there, study hard, have fun, and take the classes that you enjoy.  I was a business major, and know of people who were biology, engineering, and whatever other major you can think of.  The point is, study what interests you and you will get better grades, and that is what matters for law schools, not WHAT you studied.  Also, because I was a double Business/Spanish major, with a semester abroad in Spain, and real world experience, I was more unique that your average LSchool applicant with a Political Science degree coming straight out of undergrad.  That is not to say do not study Poly Sci - if you like it, you will be more committed, so study what you want, just work hard, volunteer, and get involved!  Good Luck!

[farah pierre]

hi im farah

i a sophmore in high school and im 14, i am looking forward on onto being a lawyer and want to know what kind of grades and expectations i need to have to get in a law school after highschool. i want to know what class i need to do best in to get in easier.

thanks.

[tynikafeatherstone]

hello i am 15 years old but in september i will be a 11th grader in high school! i attend Lake Clifton high school and i take law classes. When i go to college i want to remain taking law classes to get my degree in criminal justice or be a very succesful lawer! My birthday is very late that's why i'm only 15 going to the 11th grade and i am very proud! I was thinking about going to the university of baltimore, school of law or go out of town but that's where i'm confused i don't know where to go! please help me!!!

[Andrew]

A couple quick points to ease confusion:

(1) In the U.S., you have to go to college before law school.

(2) During college and high school, it doesn't really matter where you go or what you study.  Some subjects are more useful to legal training than others, but law schools will accept you no matter what classes you take (grades are very important to the top schools though).

[tynikastary]

hello i am 15 years old but in september i will be a 11th grader in high school! i attend Lake Clifton high school and i take law classes. When i go to college i want to remain taking law classes to get my degree in criminal justice or be a very succesful lawer! My birthday is very late that's why i'm only 15 going to the 11th grade and i am very proud! I was thinking about going to the university of baltimore, school of law or go out of town but that's where i'm confused i don't know where to go! please help me!!!