Education · 1 of 5

The path

Seven years after high school, and no shortcut around law school.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Any major is allowed. Science, engineering, geology or economics gives you something most law students do not have, which matters in this field.

2. 2

   LSAT (Law School Admission Test)

   Junior year

   The test every law school accredited by the American Bar Association accepts. Your score and your grade average decide where you get in.

3. 3

   Law school

   3 years

   Three years for a juris doctor degree. Take environmental law, administrative law and natural resources, and join the environmental clinic.

4. 4

   Bar exam and admission

   About 6 months after graduating

   Pass your state's bar exam plus the ethics exam, then clear a character and fitness review before the state will license you.

5. 5

   First job

   Ongoing

   An agency, a firm environmental group, a clerkship or a nonprofit. The first three years are where you actually learn the work.