Becoming a lawyer is a desirable career option for those who want to protect the rights of people as well as assist them with the legal issues they face.

A person who is interested in a law career will generally need good grades in high school and/or college and good communication. Other desirable skills include a good vocabulary, a good memory, the ability to listen, the ability to express ideas and thoughts concisely and accurately and the ability to comprehend complex written materials.

Most people who seek a law degree have also completed college. If a person is going straight from college to law school, the LSAT admissions test must be taken. The LSAT is used by law schools in the admissions process. Many law schools determine admissions solely on the basis of a formula that computes a student's grades with his or her LSAT score.

Those who are seriously interested in a law career would benefit from working even as a volunteer for a law firm, legal service organization or other law-related entities.

Completing law school routinely takes three years of full-time study; however, many law schools in Illinois accept part-time students.

Once a student completes law school, he or she must pass a bar exam. Applicants to the bar in Illinois must meet the following qualifications:

1. Be at least 21 years of age
2. Have a high school diploma or the functional equivalent 
3. Complete 90 semester hours in attendance at a qualified university 
4. Successfully attend and graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

In addition to these requirements, the applicant must be of good moral character and general fitness to practice law, pass the state bar exam and the "ethics test," register with the Illinois Supreme Court, and finally, be sworn in as an attorney.

Note: This information was prepared as a public service by the Illinois State Bar Association and is a joint project with the Illinois Press Association. Its purpose is to inform citizens of their legal rights and obligations.