What do I need to do to get into Law School?

Question

I'm a 10th grader in high school. I want to become a Lawyer. Where should I go? I live in New Jersey and want to go to Rutgers. I want to make a lot of money. What courses should I take in college? Should I go for my masters? do firms have to pay you more if they hire you and you have a masters? whats pre law? does new jersey have like a 5 year college where i can get a masters without having to go 6+ years?

Also, as far as grades go in high school, what should I be shooting for? (Mind you, I'm smart but im definately not Hardvard material, but I'm a damn hard worker). Should I shoot for getting all CP (college prep) courses next year? Honors? AP? are honors really neccasary?

If someone could answer all these that would help me out so much, I really wanna at least get an idea about these things.

Answer 1

First of all, your focus is on the wrong thing. If you talk to most very successful, wealthy people, they will tell you that they never went for the money. They did things which interested them, did them well, and the money followed. People will pay you for doing something well, but if you are going for money without worrying about what you need to do to earn the money, you won't be worth the money and you won't get it.

When you go to college, you need to get a bachelor's degree in something. A master's is not necessary, and it doesn't raise the money you would make. The advantage would be that you would have shown your ability to handle graduate-level work before, so it may make it a little easier to get into law school, but it isn't a requirement. Keep in mind also that doing things the quick and easy way isn't usually looked upon well, so if you got into some quickie program to get a fast master's degree, it could harm you rather than helping you.
There is no preferred major, although schools have said that they prefer someone with a serious, academic major which involves a lot of reading and writing. In other words, a history major would be preferred to a physical therapy major.

As to high school, you definitely need college prep courses, and to the degree possible, honors and AP. You want to go to the best college possible to improve your chances of getting into law school, and good schools are looking not only for a high GPA, but for a rigorous academic program as well. Shoot for the best you can do. The higher your grades, the more likely you will have a lot of college choices. Perfect grades would be wonderful, but not everyone can do that. However, if I said "Aim for a 3.6", and you were capable of more than that, you would be cutting off your own options.

Answer 2

Your admission to law school is based on three factors: 1. your Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score; 2. your undergraduate GPA; and 3. the other intangibles that each law school sets.

A Masters degree certainly is a credential, since most law students don't have one.

Rutgers has an excellent law department. There are many other fine law schools in your general area. However, you may wish to consider your remaining high school career and first two years of undergraduate study first.

Pre-law is not all that good an idea - because you may decide you don't take a fancy to the study of law. I suggest a field of study that is interesting to you both as a career and as an area in which you would like to practice law. Education lawyers often were school teachers. Many former police and custodial (as in prisons, not janitorial) personnel practice criminal law, both as prosecutors and as defense attorneys.

Firms pay what they negotiate with you. There is no "must" about it, and it is unlikely that your Masters will assist in pay negotiations all that much.

Take the college prep courses, since it looks like you are college material.

Whew! Lots of questions - I hope this helps.

Answer 3

It relies upon what you advise by a State. Michigan State or Ohio State -- good, California State or Minnesota State, no longer so good. most of the right inner most universities settle for very few move scholars. Princeton, as an example, would not settle for any. Harvard and Yale settle for 20-30 out of 1000 applicants. Stanford is even harder. even if the proper state universities do settle for transfers. you would possibly want to do properly in case you could move right into a public college like Berkeley, UNC-Chapel Hill or college of Michigan. yet a third or fourth tier state college received't help you almost as a lot.

Answer 4

Law degree is 8 years
LSAT test
4 years prelaw (LLB)
4 years law school (JD or LLD)
Bar exam