Where are the best colleges to study law?
It depends on what you mean by “learn about law.” If what you want is to learn the rules of evidence and of civil and criminal procedure, and some of the elements of libel and extortion, then any of the top 500 or so law schools will do nicely. If you want to learn how to think about the law as an institution and how law furthers or impedes the aims of public policy, you are better off sticking with the top 20 or so law schools. The latter group includes the Ivy League schools and several of the top state schools. Check the U.S. News and World Report listing for top law schools.
How many years does it take to complete law school?
Before you can attend Law School it is preferred that you have a Bachelor of Sciences degree in English. Also if you have the opportunity there take debate and public speaking courses. This will train you how to present yourself in front of a small audience. Usually a B.S. degree can be earned in as little as two years, but then the hard part is actually getting accepted into law school. Another suggestion would be to try an work part time after school in an actual law firm to learn the various procedures required. Probate law and civil law are a lot different than criminal law. Law School itself takes about four years and $150,000. Not to be discouraged but if you do get a part time job in a law firm, there is a good possibility that one of the partners would write a recommendation for you to attend law school. Even while attending law school, if you return during the summer months, there is a good possibility they will have you research case law on actual trials they are working on. Of course you would be under the supervision of one of the junior law partners. My father was an attorney and retired three years before he died. That's another thing too. Lawyers usually don't retire until they are up in their 80s, and work long hours into the night preparing for trial. I also worked as a legal clerk in my dad's office when I got out of the Army, where I worked as a legal clerk as well. If you would like more information please feel free to email me.
Where should I study college? philippines or USA? pls help.?
Where should I study college? philippines or USA? pls help.? ok, so i will be a senior in highschool this september. (supposedly 2nd year college in philippines)...we've been here for 4 years now and college is expensive. if I apply for scholarship and let us say, i failed a couple subjects, what would happen?..like I dont want to think about the pressure and studying at the same time. Im not comfortable with that.. furthermore, If i just graduate here in some community or local colleges, im thinking that it would be better to go back home and enroll in universities so that my resume is more presentable when I comeback here... I get good grades here and im planning to fail some subjects so that my parents would send me back home..=P while, if I study in the philippines, atleast I can enroll to any top universities and I feel comfortable with my surroundings.... ehehe.. then after college, comeback to the US.. what are the disadvantages and advantages?? any advice mga kababayan? thanks!
Could I still go to law school with just a GED?
I'm 16 years old and I live in Missouri. I always got good grades before entering high school. I was always on honor roll and even took an ACT test in 7th grade through Duke University and I got a medal for one of the highest scores in the state. Soon after entering high school however, a series of events caused me to be extremely depressed and suicidal. I got help for that, but by that time, I was so far behind that it was impossible to catch up. So I dropped out as soon as I turned 16. Before all this happened, I had dreams of being a lawyer and I still do. I'm starting my GED classes next week. Is it possible for me to get into a fairly good law school without a high school diploma? If so, how do I go about going to college and then law school after getting my GED?
What kind of grades do you need to get into law school?
High school grades are not considered for law school. However, they are considered for undergraduate school (college/university). The better your high school grades, the better the college/university you can get into. The better the college/university the better chance to get into law school. Technically, you can have average grade but do amazing on the SAT/ACT and get into a good school, but I wouldn't count on this. You'd practically have to ace it. Law schools care A LOT about your undergrad grades, and they also take into account what type of major you had (what types of classes you were taking) and where. For instance, an A student that studied Fashion at an unknown college will not be as good as a B student that studied Philosophy at Harvard. Law Schools also care a lot about LSAT scores, but you don't need to worry about that for a couple of years. Personal experiences, legal experience, and other things also play a part in law school acceptance, but again, don't worry about that until you get into a good undergrad. You do not need to major in pre-law to go to law school, in fact some schools dislike it (because you come "pre-programmed"). Law schools really like "unexpected" majors like those in math/science because the majority of students are political science/international relations/history majors and this doesn't create a lot of diversity in thought/prior experience. All law schools are different, so if you have one in mind, look into their particular admission practices. Bottom line: Your grades should come up. You need to focus on getting in a good undergrad school. If you don't, it's not the end of your possibilities, just make your undergrad experience a good one.
Should I go to Law School?
I keep hearing negatives about getting a law degree. I'm in my early 30s and plan on starting law school in Aug. 2011. I'm sick of the business world roller coaster I've been on the past 15 years, with the ridiculous pay scale swings, and view law school as an investment in myself. However, I keep reading about attorneys having a difficult time finding jobs, and when they do, the salaries are awful. Do you think the market will be different when I graduate in 2014, or should I opt out of my plan of becoming an attorney, that I have become so passionate about, all together?
How do I become a good lawyer?
After having worked at a Federal Court for years and knowing many good and many not so good attorneys, they key to a sucessful career in law is: COMMUNICATION #1--if you communicate to your clients, then their happy. You communicate with the courts, i.e. judges, law clerks, etc. then the courts are happy===even if you mess up, people are much more willing to help you fix your mess up's when your communicating & polite about it. Believe it or not, a low level clerk at the courts can make or break you in that court system. Judges ask their employees what attorneys are jerks and what attorney treat the employees well. Judges will deal with attorneys accordingly, even though most attorney's don't know that..we actually had a judge require an attorney to go to anger management courses before he was allowed back into her courtroom. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS #2--you MUST be extremely organized. Court filings have due dates and if they are not filed on time--FORGET IT! Even in the most intese court cases with all the evidence in the world to prove your case, if you file 1 document 10 minutes later then a judge tells you..your whole case could be thrown out. KNOW THE LAWS that your specializing in--at 13 you probably don't realize all the different specialties that lawyers get into. For example many lawyers don't even step foot in court rooms, however their jobs are based on being lawyers. Especially in real estate law, etc. Most attorneys pick 1 or 2 fields of expertise, i.e. Bankruptcy Law or Divorce Law or Medical Malpractice or Real Estate Law or Probate Law. It would be difficult to become extremely knowledgeable in all these different specialties. Good luck to you and I hope this gave you an "inside" perspective from a court employee dealing with both good and bad attorney's on a daily basis.