All American Bar Association approved law schools usually require 3 years of full-time study to earn a JD. Some law schools also offer part-time programs that generally take 4 to 5 years to complete. There are also post-JD degrees available for international students who have studied law in their home countries and for JD holders who are interested in law school faculty careers.
For information on locating law programs that meet your needs, see: How do I choose a law school? If you're interested in learning more about what the experience might be like for you, check out these stories! Search form Search. Law School - Overview Law school prepares students to understand and work with legal systems by developing their abilities to write and speak persuasively, anticipate consequences, and use creative and analytical problem solving skills.
How is Law School different from Undergraduate Education? Under the ABA rules , a law student must complete no fewer than 83 credit hours in order to graduate from an ABA-approved law school. At least 64 of these credit hours must be in courses that require attendance in regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction.
Additionally, these 83 credit hours must be completed no earlier than 24 months and, except in extraordinary circumstances, no later than 84 months after the student has begun law school. Accordingly, it will take law students anywhere from 2—7 years to earn their J. Students who attend law school part-time or who experience some sort of health emergency that forces them to step away from school for an extended period may take longer than 3 years.
A Master of Laws LL. M is a post-law degree. Most LL. M degree programs take 1 year to complete. Though you might be able to enter law school more quickly, you may have a hard time getting admitted into a top law school this way. However, the majority of states, such as New Jersey, require attendance at an ABA-accredited law school. Studying for the bar exam will likely consume two to three months of your time and will take an additional few months to get the results.
This process includes a thorough background check of your financial, criminal, residence and employment history. The amount of time this takes will depend on how clean your background is, but you can generally expect it to take a number of months. All lawyers must be academically qualified and licensed to perform their professional role. The most typical route to becoming a lawyer entails completing an undergraduate degree in any major those interested in intellectual property law should have a strong background in sciences , taking the Law School Admission Test LSAT and completing the juris doctor J.
SO How long does it take to become a Lawyer? Becoming a lawyer can take a few years while pursuing a career as a scholar or a consultant may require a different amount of studies. Here is some information on law degrees and how long they can take to complete.
Determining the length of time to complete law degrees first requires knowing the type of degree the individual wishes to pursue. Here are the most common law degrees:. Students earning a law degree complete a curriculum that includes course work, seminars, internships, fellowships and extensive research. They can choose from several programs of study including law and history; criminal justice; international and comparative law; law and government; law and social change, and law, science and technology.
Courses can vary depending on the field of law a student may choose. Course topics might include:. Lawyers continue to be in demand as individuals and businesses are in need of legal services in many areas. The U. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth of eight percent during the decade. Legal students who have the highest degree levels generally earn the highest wages. Despite how long it can take to complete a law degree, working as an attorney can be exciting, challenging and very rewarding.
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