Can someone give me major advice on how to become a lawyer?

Question

I want to be a lawyer, very very badly. Criminal defense to be exact. However, some bad decisions has left me with a bad GPA and I only have 2 years to pull it up, but it is mathematically impossible to get it higher than a 3.0. I head law schools are hard to get into, so what could I do? Also, I'm only 17, but is there any job I can take now that would introduce me to the field of law?

Answer 1

Check out your local community colleges or Online universities (like the University of Phoenix) and become a paralegal. That would give you some background, and your grades won't be a problem. After you get your certificate, you can either work as a paralegal, or go to college and begin working on your law degree(s).

Answer 2

i dont know hwere you live but i can tell you some info in alberta.

Lawyer Produced NOVEMBER 2005

Lawyers study and interpret points of law to advise clients of their rights and legal obligations, and represent client interests in legal transactions and proceedings.

NOC Number(s): 4112
Minimum Education: 6 years post-secondary education/training
Employment Outlook: Employment turnover in addition to average occupational growth in Alberta
Interests: M I D

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Duties | Working Conditions | Personal Characteristics | Education | Other Requirements | Employment | Salary | Other Information | Related Occupations | Related School Subjects | Related Field of Study
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Duties
Lawyer advise clients on legal matters, represent clients before administration boards and draw up legal documents such as contracts and wills. They also plead cases, represent clients before tribunals and conduct prosecutions in courts of law.

Legal practice may be roughly divided into two types: court work and office work. In Canada, when lawyers have completed their training, they are called Barristers and Solicitors because they are eligible to do both. Most lawyers, particularly in small practices, do some court work.

Barristers (court work practitioners) act as advocates for their clients in both criminal and civil law suits. Criminal law involves breaches of the Criminal Code of Canada (e.g. arson, theft, murder) or violations of other statutes (e.g. the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, Young Offenders Act). Civil cases involve non-criminal actions and are often settled out of court. For example, civil cases include:

personal injury law suits
family and divorce actions
contract law suits
employment and labour disputes
estates
intellectual property disputes.
In general, barristers acting on behalf of clients:

research legislation, legal precedents and case law
gather evidence (interview witnesses, review documents)
advise clients, initiate legal actions and draft pleadings
present a client's case or defence in court or before a tribunal, board, mediator or arbitrator
negotiate settlements
may act as a mediator, conciliator or arbitrator.
Litigators are barristers engaged in civil work.

Prosecutors are barristers for the Crown who:

research legislation, legal precedents and case law
assemble and analyze evidence gathered by police
advise police regarding charges and keep crime victims informed about legal procedings
prosecute criminal cases in court.
Solicitors (office work lawyers) deal with those areas which generally do not require courtroom appearances such as real estate transactions, corporate law, commercial law, administrative law, patents, probate and administration of estates, international law and some aspects of family law.

In general, solicitors:

act as advisors in legal transactions
draft legal documents such as wills and business contracts
handle the transfer of property
administer estates
incorporate companies
negotiate deals
act as executors, trustees or guardians in estate and family law matters
act as trade-mark or patent agents.
Lawyers and articling students are notary publics under the Notaries Public Act (Alberta). A notary public may:

administer oaths and take affidavits, affirmations and declarations
draw, pass, keep and issue deeds, contracts, charter parties and other mercantile transactions in Alberta
attest (show that something is true and valid) commercial instruments.
Lawyers and articling students also are commissioners of oaths under the Commissioner of Oaths Act (Alberta). They may administer oaths and take and receive affidavits, declarations and affirmations in Alberta.


Working Conditions
Legal work can be very demanding and stressful. Lawyers may spend many hours outside the normal working day drafting briefs, researching cases and generally keeping informed about new developments in the legal profession. They usually work as partners or associates in law offices and employ one or more staff members to assist them with their work.

Other working conditions depend on factors such as size and type of law firm. For example:

criminal lawyers may, if required, spend time conferring with clients who are being detained in remand centres or prisons.
practitioners in international, corporation or taxation law work closely with government officials and professionals such as accountants, economists and business executives.
family law lawyers meet with families in the course of adoption or child custody proceedings.
labour lawyers sometimes visit work sites to investigate working conditions or labour disputes.


Personal Characteristics
Lawyers need the following characteristics:

the physical and emotional stamina required to cope with periods of stress
a sense of public responsibility and a strong code of ethics
the ability to communicate persuasively and promote their services
the ability to think logically and analytically and respond quickly
organizational skills and the ability to balance career demands and outside interests
a high tolerance for confrontation and conflict
tact and patience in dealing with clients
an excellent memory.
They should enjoy co-ordinating information, negotiating settlements and advising clients.


Educational Requirements
To practice law in Alberta, lawyers must have completed three stages of post-secondary education and training requiring a total of six to eight years of study.

The first stage is two to four years in an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree program. Undergraduate degree programs and university transfer programs are offered by post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta. In general, the admission requirement for undergraduate programs is a high school diploma with a competitive average (ranging from 60 to 80 per cent depending on the program) in English Language Arts 30-1 (or English 30) and four other approved or specified 30 level courses (e.g. social studies, math or a second language other than English, sciences).

For current information about programs, admission requirements and mature student admission policies, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.

Students seeking admission to law school must write the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), an aptitude test administered four times a year at a number of Canadian campuses.

The second stage is a three year Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from an accredited law school. Admission to law school is based on the Faculty of Law's assessment of the applicant's academic record, LSAT score and general qualifications. The minimum academic requirement is completion of at least two years of a program leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent, but admission after two or three years of undergraduate study is very unusual. A bachelor's degree is generally required to gain admission.

The University of Alberta in Edmonton offers

an LLB degree program. This is a quota program in which a number of places are reserved for mature and indigenous students.
a combined Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Laws (MBA/ LLB) degree program. In addition to the entrance requirements described above, admission to these programs requires successful completion of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
a Master of Laws (LLM) program and a postgraduate diploma program. The entrance requirement for both programs is a law degree from a recognized university. The postgraduate program requires at least two years of experience in law practice or a related field. See the University of Alberta calendar for information about additional entrance requirements.
The University of Calgary offers:

an LLB degree program. In addition to the entrance requirements described above, the applicant's maturity, work experience and community involvement are considered.
combined MBA/LLB and Master of Environmental Design (Environmental Science)/LLB degree programs.
an LLM program in natural resources and environmental law. The entrance requirement is an LLB degree from a recognized university.
The University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon offers a special law program for aboriginal people. For more information, contact the Legal Studies for Native People program, located at the Native Law Centre, University of Saskatchewan.

The third stage of education and training for lawyers is called articling. After prospective lawyers graduate from an LLB or combined degree program, they must work for one full year as a student-at-law. This is a form of apprenticeship in which the student enters into an agreement (articles of clerkship) with a practitioner of the Alberta Bar, to provide the graduate with practical training in both barrister's and solicitor's work. Most articling students are paid a modest salary.

It is the responsibility of the law graduate to obtain an articling position. A graduate's ability to secure an articling position depends on a number of factors including the level of economic activity in the province and the graduate's grades and related experience.

Articling students must attend and successfully complete the CPLED program (Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education) which is offered twice a year and covers many practical aspects of the law. This six month bar admission program includes classroom sessions and online learning.


Other Requirements
Under Alberta's Legal Profession Act, you must be registered member of the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) to practice law in Alberta or call yourself a Lawyer.


Employment and Advancement section revised APRIL 2007
Lawyers may be self-employed, or employed by businesses or federal, provincial or municipal governments. In the past, most lawyers started their careers in private practice, either as members of firms or on their own. Today, a growing number of graduates are pursuing alternate careers working for government, business, industry, nonprofit groups or post-secondary institutions.

Lawyers in private practice sometimes become senior partners in their firms. A few are appointed to the Bench or to administrative tribunals. Government legal advisors may advance to positions as department heads or diplomats, and corporate lawyers may become company executives. Lawyers also may combine their training in law with other professional training e.g. in arbitration, mediation, medicine, business, library studies or political science.

Lawyers are part of the larger National Occupational Classification 4112: Lawyers and Quebec Notaries. In Alberta, over 75 per cent of people employed in this classification work in the Legal, Accounting, Architectural, Engineering and Design Services industry.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Legal, Accounting, Architectural, Engineering and Design Services industry)
location in Alberta
employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
size of the occupation.
About 11,200 Albertans are employed in the Lawyers and Quebec Notaries occupational group which is expected to grow 2.1 to 3.1 per cent each year from 2006 to 2011 in Alberta. It is forecasted that 230 to 350 new positions will be created each year in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next five to ten years.


Salary
Incomes in private practice vary tremendously depending on the firm's ability to attract and maintain clients.

According to the 2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans with three years of experience working part-time or full-time in the Lawyers and Quebec Notaries occupational group earned from $38,500 to $180,400 a year. The average salary was $87,900 a year.