Education · 1 of 5

The path

Seven years after high school before you are licensed, and it is the exam at the end that stops people.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Anything that makes you read, write and argue. There is no pre-law subject requirement.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Any major at all. Keep your grade point average high and sit the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which is accepted by every law school approved by the American Bar Association.

3. 3

   Law school

   3 years

   Three years ending in a Juris Doctor (JD). First year is contracts, torts, civil procedure and criminal law. Torts is the subject this career is built on.

4. 4

   Bar exam and character review

   Several months

   Pass your state's bar exam plus the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), then clear a moral character investigation.

5. 5

   First years in practice

   2 to 5 years

   Handling claims, taking depositions, negotiating with insurance adjusters, and slowly getting your own files.