What is the process of becoming an attorney or passing the bar exam?

Answer 1

To become an attorney, you must do various tasks, which can be broken up into three phases.

The first phase is applying to a law school. Each law school in the United States requires a bachelors degree in any field. Additionally, all law schools have the same requirement in taking the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). It is essential that you do well on this test if you wish to go to the law school of your choice and/or acquire a scholarship. The application process includes making personal statements, usually pertaining to the law school's mission statement and what inspired you to become an attorney.

The second phase is law school itself. This is merely going through the experience that is law school. Similar to high school where your junior year is considered the most important year, the first year of law school is critically important. To make the most of your law school experience, I recommend that you make good notes, outlines, attend classes, participate in moot court, law review, and trial team. During law school, you should complete other requirements such as finger printing, background checks, and completing the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam). The MPRE score obtained will be good for up to 25 months, and each state has its own score indicating what is considered passing.

Finally, the third phase is passing your state's bar exam. Similar to how each state has its score for passing the MPRE, each state has its own bar exam. Some states have take the bar exam in a single day, other states take the exam over the course of numerous days. Some states contain a state section, which pertains to state specific laws or procedures. Other states follow the UBE (Uniform Bar Exam). Still other states contain its own state section dividing it into a mixture of essays and/or multiple choice questions. However, most states continue to follow the MBE (Multistate Bar Exam), which contains multiple choice questions pertaining to seven core subjects of law (Criminal law/Procedure, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Property, and Torts). It is important that you do your research to determine what, and how your state gives its bar exam.

I am sorry to say that there is no inherent process that guarantees passing the bar exam. To pass the bar exam, it is recommended that you obtain bar preparatory class, that you set aside 8-12 hours a day studying (preparing for this test is like a full time job), have a stable support system like family and friends to be at your side, and, most importantly, know yourself (you know what works for you study wise; one size does not fit all). With careful planning, time management, and a little luck, you too can pass the bar exam.