Education · 1 of 5

The path

Seven years minimum after high school, and tax usually adds one more on top.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   No required major. Accounting, economics or finance are genuinely useful here, unlike in most areas of law.

2. 2

   The LSAT (Law School Admission Test)

   Months of preparation

   The admission test accepted by every accredited law school. Your score and grade point average decide which schools and which scholarships open up.

3. 3

   Law school

   3 years

   Three years for the juris doctor degree. Take every tax course offered and get onto a tax clinic if the school has one.

4. 4

   The bar examination

   2 to 3 months of study

   Taken in the state where you want to practice, plus an ethics exam and a character and fitness background check.

5. 5

   Specialist tax degree, optional but common

   1 year

   A Master of Laws in taxation is a one-year degree taken after law school. A number of law schools run one, and tax employers pay attention to it.