Elementary School

If you or one you know thinks they want to become a lawyer, the first question that needs to be answered is, what does a lawyer do? Lawyers are problem solvers. They help people, families and businesses. They work in small or large law offices, in government, or in big businesses and corporations. Lawyers can do things as complicated as defending people who have been accused of crimes or as simple as helping collect money that is owed to you.

Lawyers need to go to school for three years after they finish their college education.
Some of the things any good lawyer needs to be able to do are:

• Read and understand well
• Be able to write and communicate well 
• Be able to speak well in front of others 
• Be organized 
• Be on time with their work
• Complete assignments as instructed 
• Ask questions if they don’t understand 
• Be open minded and listen well when others are speaking 
• Be honest and know how to keep secrets

These are all skills young students can start developing now.

Middle School

In addition to the skills mentioned above, students in middle school can start to develop additional skills that will help them prepare for a legal career:

• Develop team working skills
• Know how to research a topic on their own 
• Develop good note taking skills

If you are a student in middle school and are interested in a career in the law, you may wish to review some of the following resources:

You may also benefit from becoming involved in speech and debate or theater. Job training and resume building can start now: every time you do volunteer work, help a neighbor or perform a small job for anyone, you can write it down and create a reference for the future.

High School

In preparation for law school, it is important to earn good grades in all your classes in high school, as well as develop your general communication skills. The most important function of an attorney is the communication of ideas, both verbally and in writing. Start reading newspapers and magazines to keep informed of issues important in your community.  In addition to the skills mentioned above for students in elementary and middle school, high school students should focus on being able to debate an issue and see both sides of an argument.

If you think you may be seriously interested in a law career, you may wish to consider contacting local law offices, legal service organizations or other law-related entities to see if they require any assistance, even as a volunteer, during what time you have available. Any exposure you can gain in the field will benefit you in your future career.
If you have an interest in serving in the legal field, but do not wish to become a lawyer, you may choose a career as a legal assistant or paralegal. You may become a mediator, a law librarian, court reporter, or court clerk.  The following courses and activities will help prepare you to be successful in law school:

• Creative Writing
• Speech and Debate 
• Social Studies and current events 
• Library science 
• Illinois and U.S. Constitution 
• U.S. History 
• Political Science 
• Theater 
• High School Mock Trial involvement 
• Constitutional Rights Foundation Youth Programs 
• Peer mediation and conflict resolution skills development
• Visit a law school campus and meet some law students 
• Attend a law camp in your area, if possible.

Suggested reading:

• A Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr
• Anatomy of a Murder, by Robert Traver 
• Billy Budd, by Herman Melville 
• Bleak House and The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens 
• Gideon's Trumpet, by Anthony Lewis 
• Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo 
• Looking at Law School, by Stephen Gillers 
• One-L, by Scott Turow 
• The Bramble Bush, by Karl N. Llewellyn 
• The Paper Chase, by John Osborne Jr. 
• To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

College

There are generally no constraints in terms of concentration as an undergraduate. Usually a liberal arts education is beneficial; however, students with backgrounds ranging from accounting, business or philosophy, to engineering or biology can all become effective and successful attorneys. The most important aspect of the undergraduate education for law school is earning good grades in whatever field of concentration you choose, as well as developing your general communication skills. A good lawyer must be able to communicate ideas, both verbally and in writing.

Sometime prior to or during one's senior year in college, the LSAT admissions test must be taken. Similar to the ACT or the SAT, the test is used by law schools in the admissions process. Many law schools determine admissions solely on the basis of a formula computing grades and the LSAT tests score together. However, there are some law schools that have other elements added on to that computation, whether it be for affirmative action purposes or other reasons.

If you think you may be seriously interested in a law career, you may wish to consider contacting local law offices, legal service organizations or other law-related entities to see if they require any assistance, even as a volunteer, during what time you have available. Any exposure you can gain in the field will benefit you in your future career.
If you plan on being admitted to practice law in Illinois, you must attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The preparation for a license to practice law requires a great deal of time, hard work and expense.

In addition to graduating from an American Bar Association accredited law school, you must pass the Illinois Bar Examination, a rigid test of knowledge in all fields of law. And, you must undergo a thorough examination by the Committee on Character and Fitness to practice. Ultimately, having completed all these steps, you will be sworn in by a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and acquire your admission to the bar.

As to employment options and opportunities, there is a broad range of jobs available to those holding a law degree or license. You may become a corporate lawyer, a criminal defense lawyer, or a legal service lawyer working for the indigent, to name a few. You may choose to teach law or become a general practitioner. You may work in a large law form or open your own solo practice. You may become a government lawyer and work with the federal, state or local governmental units.

If you have an interest in serving in the legal field, but do not wish to become a lawyer, you may choose a career as a legal assistant or paralegal. You may become a mediator, a law librarian, court reporter, or court clerk.

In addition to your coursework, the following are suggestions for extra reading that will help you prepare for your law career:

• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt        
• The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
• The Legacy, by James Michener 
• Various books by John Grisham 
• Biographies
  • Abe Fortas 
  • Abraham Lincoln 
  • Clarence Darrow 
  • John Marshall
  • Myra Bradwell 
  • Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
  • Robert Kennedy 
  • Thurgood Marshall 
  • William Jennings Bryan

This information is advisory in nature only and should not be relied upon as a path that guarantees admission to a law school or to the practice of law. The Illinois State Bar Association encourages students of all ages, and all backgrounds, to advance their interest and involvement in the law and good citizenship.

To download the full Becoming a Lawyer Booklet, please click here.