Getting a Law Degree
Getting a law degree is an excellent option if you want to broaden your professional horizons after graduation. Lawyers often have high-paying jobs and some reach social prominence with careers in politics and in prestigious corporations. Striving to get a law degree involves careful consideration and soul searching because law studies are often mentally and emotionally arduous.
How to Get a Law Degree
Before admission to law schools, applicants must have a good Grade Point Average (GPA) and pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Passing the LSAT is just the first step as most law schools require applicants to undergo an interview conducted by an admissions committee.
In Canada and the US, law schools usually require at least three years of law studies after you finish an undergraduate degree. (1) Law school students are conferred with the Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Doctor of Law degree in the US and the Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Civil Law in Canada. Upon graduation, lawyers can choose to pursue further studies and attain a Master of Laws (LL.M.) or Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) degree. (2)
Upon graduation, law school alumni are required to pass a state or regional bar examination to become a practicing lawyer. In the US, law school graduates are also required to take the Multistate Bar Examinations which is composed of general law subject matter combined with state-specific essay questions. (3)
If you want to get a law degree on a part-time basis, some law schools now offer distance education and accelerated law degree programs. Some accelerated law programs allow students to enroll in a law school while they are completing their bachelor's degree. Columbia University has an accelerated law degree program known as the Accelerated Interdisciplinary Legal Education Program (AILE) which allows selected college junior students to enroll in Columbia Law School. (4) Distance education through the Internet is also a viable option for those who want to get a law degree on a part-time basis. Abraham Lincoln University (ALU) in California offers a four year law degree program that features online video lessons and course materials to facilitate part-time law studies. (5) Distance learning and online law degree programs are also present in the United Kingdom with schools like the University of East London and the Nottingham Law School. (6)
Literary Citations & Article References:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_school
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_school
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_school
(4) http://www.law.columbia.edu/