How to Become a Lawyer: Everything You Need to Know

Making career choices is never an easy task. It’s a process that needs to be taken seriously, especially if your goal is to enter a field that will have impact on other people.

With that said, you shouldn’t take choosing a legal profession lightly. Becoming a lawyer takes a lot of dedication and years of strenuous work. On the other hand, becoming a lawyer can be an excellent career choice, if you’re someone who loves justice and working with words.

If you’re considering becoming a lawyer, you’re in the right spot. We have gathered all the important information and tips you need to know to become a lawyer in Australia. By the time you finish reading the article, you’ll know whether this is the career choice is for you or not. Let’s dive in.

What is a lawyer and what can you do as a lawyer?

A lawyer is a qualified professional who can give legal advice and represent clients in courts. There are numerous things that law professionals can do, from being independent law specialist and advisers in family law to being corporate lawyers specialized in different fields such as construction or property. We also need to mention that you can become a judge or a mediator, too.

Because it offers so many options, a career in law can both be exciting and daunting. If you are interested in becoming a real estate lawyer, you can visit a property solicitor in Tamworth and talk with them to get a better idea of what property lawyers do.

You can choose between becoming a corporate lawyer, family lawyer, criminal defense lawyer, real estate lawyer, or civil rights lawyer, to name a few. To find your niche and decide which type of law interests you the most, you should do thorough research.

How to become a lawyer

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1.  Earn a law degree

The first step on your way to becoming a lawyer is to earn a law degree. Bachelor’s degree in law is a must-have in many countries. Having a BA in law qualifies you to take national exams and start working.

In Australia, you have two options, an undergraduate Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or a postgraduate Juris Doctor degree (which you can earn after an LLB degree). It takes 3 to 4 years to get an undergraduate Bachelor of Laws degree. To get your JD degree you will need another 2 years.

What you should know is that both of these degrees will teach you the essential legal knowledge and skills you need to work as a lawyer. Once you graduate, you should know legal concepts and systems both in Australia and across the world.

2.  Practical legal training

Before you start practicing law, you should get some experience. That’s where practical legal training can come in handy. Practical legal training is usually a separate training program that you can complete after graduating with a legal degree.

However, this depends on the state and territory where you live. In some states, practical legal training is a part of a JD degree program.

If in your state, practical legal training is separate from the degree, find a practical legal training course provider and complete the course. The course lasts around 80 days and during the training, you will be practicing side by side with an experienced lawyer. There will also be some online studying for you to do, but all in all the course will last less than a year.

3.  Get your qualifications approved and get a practicing certificate

In Australia, you need to get your qualifications approved by your local state’s Addition Authority. Once you get this approval you will officially be a lawyer of the Supreme Court in your state. Ideally, you should look for approval 5 days after graduation.

Similarly, if your goal is to work as a solicitor, you need to obtain a practicing certificate from your state’s Law Society. Obtaining this certificate will allow you to practice law in your state or territory.

You can get your certificate and work as a solicitor in a legal firm to get familiar with legal processes and build professional networks before opening your own company.

4.  Complete supervised practice

The first 18 to 24 months after becoming a new solicitor you are required to work under the supervision of a practicing lawyer. As mentioned above, this period will give you the opportunity to gain practical experience, research cases, familiarize yourself with legal processes, and so on.

While you’re in the supervised practice, your supervisor will check your work and give you feedback. This feedback is invaluable because it will allow you to learn from your mistakes before starting independent work.

5.  Start working independently as a lawyer

After completing all of the steps above, you will be able to work independently as a lawyer. If you do well in your supervised practice, you might even get a job offer from them. That’s the case in many law firms.

However, if that’s not your case, you can either look for other job offers or start your own practice.

Bottom Line

Not everyone is cut out to practice law. To become a lawyer, you need a specific set of skills, a strong commitment, and diligent work. Only that way you can become a good law practitioner.

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