Law Schools

Schools by State
for Lawyers:

AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Career Highlights for
Lawyers

Training generally required for this career includes: First professional degree.

Jobs and Salary
Median Salary (2008)	$110,590
Unemployment Vs. Other Jobs	Very Low
Jobs (2006)	761,000
Job Growth (2006-2016)	11%
Jobs (2016 forecast)	844,000

Flexibility
Working Part-Time	6%
Self-Employed	27%

Education of Current Workers
Bachelor Degree or Higher	99%
Some College	1%
High School or Less	0%

Relevant Job Titles

(Supplied by experts and industry contributors for this career category)

Admiralty Lawyer
Agency Legal Counsel
Assistant Attorney General
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Assistant Counsel
Assistant County Attorney
Assistant District Attorney
Assistant Federal Public Defender
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Assistant Prosecutor
Assistant Public Defender
Assistant State Attorney
Associate
Associate Attorney
Associate Counsel
Attorney
Attorney at Law
Attorney General
Bar Examiner
Barrister
Business Lawyer
City Attorney
City Solicitor
Civil Lawyer
Claim Attorney
Closing Agent
Commonwealth Attorney
Consumer Advocate
Conveyancer
Corporate Attorney
Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counselor
Corporate Lawyer
Corporation Counsel
Corporation Lawyer
Counsel
Counselor at Law
County Attorney
Criminal Defense Lawyer
Criminal District Attorney
Criminal Justice Lawyer
Criminal Lawyer
Defense Attorney
Deputy Attorney General
Deputy Chief Counsel
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
District Attorney
Divorce Lawyer
Entertainment Lawyer
Enviromental Attorney
Environmental Lawyer
Estate Planning Attorney
Family Lawyer
Foreign Law Consultant
Foreign Legal Consultant
General Counsel
General Counselor
Immigration Attorney
Immigration Lawyer
Immigration Specialist
Insurance Attorney
Insurance Counselor
Law Writer
Lawyer
Legal Adviser
Legal Advisor
Legal Arbitrator
Legal Consultant
Legal Counsel
Legal Department Manager
Legal Examiner
Legal Research Analyst (Lawyer)
Legal Researcher
Litigation Attorney
Military Lawyer
Partner
Patent Attorney
Patent Lawyer
Patent Solicitor
Probate Lawyer
Professional Degreed Law Clerk
Prosecutor
Public Defender
Rating Board Specialist
Rating Specialist
Real Estate Attorney
Real Estate Closer
Real Estate Lawyer
Regulatory Analyst
Solicitor
Sports Attorney
Sports Lawyer
Staff Attorney
Staff Counsel
Tariff Counsel
Tax Agent
Tax Attorney
Tax Lawyer
Title Attorney
Title Lawyer
Trial Attorney
Trial Lawyer

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

Lawyer Job Description

Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.

The practice of law affects the daily lives of people in any community, of any race, age, faith or gender. Laws keep people safe at work and at home, protect their investments and health, help with buying houses and starting businesses, and enforce the individual rights of each citizen. Lawyers (also called attorneys) represent involved parties or "sides" in civil and criminal disputes, and usually specialize in a particular area of expertise such as bankruptcy, probate, elder, disability, business, real estate, intellectual property, insurance, international, or environmental law. While specific responsibilities will vary with their area of specialty, general responsibilities of lawyers include:

studying laws, old and new
researching laws and the applications of laws as they apply to a specific case
advising their clients on their obligations and rights, how the legal system works, and recommended courses of action
presenting evidence; arguing in court in support of their clients
interviewing clients and witnesses
understanding courtroom procedures and strategies
preparing and filing paperwork and legal documentation
defending or prosecuting individuals, companies or groups

Most lawyers work in private practice. Others work for private or public companies, the government, or non-profit organizations that provide legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals. Some lawyers choose only cases of public interest, where the outcome might have an impact on the application of law.

Law Degrees and Law Schools

Most lawyers have studied law for a minimum of seven years - four years to receive a bachelors degree in order to get into law school, where they study for three years. Law schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) meet rigorous industry standards.

Law Classes

Most colleges and universities offer multidisciplinary programs that provide the broad range of courses necessary to prepare students for law school.

English and foreign languages
Business
Speaking and debate
Government
Logic, philosophy and history
Economics and mathematics
Computer science and information technology
Legal terminology
Sociology and Psychology

Additional courses specific to the field of interest, such as accounting for tax law or engineering for patent law, are recommended.

Law school admission is usually based on undergraduate grades, scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), prior work experience and interviews. Core coursework for the juris doctor (J.D.) degree is completed in the first 1 1/2 years, and includes:

Property law
Constitutional law
Torts
Contracts
Civil procedure
Legal writing

Specialized courses follow, in fields such as labor, tax or corporate law.

In addition to classes, law students often spend time gaining practical experience through:

school-sponsored legal clinics and moot court competitions
practice trials supervised by experienced lawyers and judges
researching and writing for the school's law journals
working on legislative committees or in legal aid offices
finding part-time or summer clerkships in law firms, corporate legal departments or government agencies

Online Law Classes and Programs

Online bachelor's degree programs in multidisciplinary studies are plentiful and well-suited for aspiring lawyers. It is important to check what kinds of online credits and degrees are accepted by preferred law schools, and the state in which the student intends to practice. To have the same access to internship and job placement opportunities as on-campus programs, consider online programs that are offered as a service of brick-and-mortar schools.

Any law school, online or on-campus, should be accredited by the ABA. Online programs should also be accredited by the Accreditation Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Lawyer Requirements

In addition to a bachelors degree and JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school, lawyers in any state must be admitted to its bar (licensed). In most states, applicants must pass both written bar and ethics examinations. These exams often include the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), Multistate Performance Testing (MPT), Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and sometimes a locally-prepared state bar examination.

How to Evaluate Law Schools

When comparing law programs, legal students should consider the following factors:

Reputation and rank - How does the program rank nationally? What is its reputation among students, law firms and other schools?
Accreditation and focus - Is the school accredited by the ABA? Does it provide adequate course offerings in areas of chosen specialty?
School and class size - What is the student/teacher ratio in most introductory classes? Are classes or programs crowded or difficult to get into?
Practical experience - Are internship programs and other practical experience opportunities well-organized with plenty of opportunities?
Tuition and financial assistance - What support is offered to students who wish to take advantage of scholarships, grants, loans, work/study and other financial aid options?
Career success - What is the school's track record for graduating students who became licensed, practicing lawyers?

Relevant Schools That Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site

School names link to detailed profiles. Use the Info from the School link to contact the school directly for more information. You may request information from as many schools as you like.

School	Campuses	Awards	Info
Central Pennsylvania College	PA	Bachelor	Info From School
Concord Law School	Online	Master	Info From School
Empire College	CA	Doctorate	Info From School
Everest University Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor	Info From School
Golden Gate University	CA	Masters	Info From School
Herzing University	GA, WI, FL, MN, LA	Bachelor	Info From School
Kaplan University	Online	Master	Info From School
National American University	Online	Bachelor	Info From School
Norwich University	Online	Master	Info From School
Penn Foster Career School	Online	Associate	Info From School
Penn Foster College	Online	Associate	Info From School
Strayer University	DE, VA, AL, MD, UT, GA, NC, KY, PA, WV, NJ, TN, FL, SC, DC	Bachelor	Info From School
Strayer University Online	Online	Bachelor	Info From School
The University of Liverpool	Online	Master	Info From School

Listed below are some of the careers in the US with the most job openings and/or fastest growth, according to US government statistics and BrainTrack's own analysis. BrainTrack's profiles for these careers overview responsibilities, degrees, areas of study, career requirements, online study options, and how to evaluate relevant schools. Each profile also lists relevant US schools including those in each state.

Engineering and Technology