Education · 1 of 5

The path

Any bachelor's degree, then three years of law school, then the bar exam in the state you want to work in.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   There is no pre-law subject requirement. Take English, history and anything that makes you argue and write. Debate helps more than it sounds.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree, any subject

   4 years

   Law schools accept every major. Political science, history, English, economics and engineering all work. Grades matter more than the subject.

3. 3

   LSAT (Law School Admission Test)

   3 to 6 months of study

   The admission test accepted by every accredited law school. Most people study for three to six months. Your score and your grade point average are the two numbers admissions runs on.

4. 4

   Law school

   3 years

   Three years for the Juris Doctor degree. First year is contracts, torts, property, civil procedure, criminal law and legal writing. Grades in that first year drive which jobs you can get.

5. 5

   Bar exam and admission

   2 to 3 months of full-time study

   Two or three days of testing, plus a separate ethics exam and a character and fitness background check. You are admitted by one state's highest court, not by a national body.