How To Become A Lawyer After Law School

If you’ve completed your three-year juris doctorate program but are still unclear on how to become a lawyer after law school, you still have some work ahead of you. Although every state has different requirements to become an attorney, in most jurisdictions, to become a lawyer after law school, you’ll need to take a bar exam, submit an application, pass a background check, and provide the board of bar examiners with character references.

1. Sign up for the bar exam. The bar exam in a two to three day test and is the main prerequisite to become a lawyer after law school. The test will assess your knowledge of state and federal law and contains both multiple-choice and essay questions.
2. Take the MPRE. In addition to the bar exam, you must also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), which evaluates your knowledge of ethical principles that relate to the practice of law, before you may become a lawyer after law school.
3. Get letters of recommendations. State bar examiners typically require that graduates who are ready to become lawyers after law school provide two to three character references. You will typically need to submit references from both personal sources and from your former law school professors.
4. Pass a criminal and civil background check. Before you may become a lawyer after law school, you will need to complete a thorough background check that looks at your criminal record, credit, and participation in any civil matters of law, including divorces and separations.  Some states also require law school graduates to disclose their mental health history and medical history as it relates to their ability to practice law.