1. Law School
So far, there are about 203 law schools in the United States, of which 178 is recognized by the American Bar Association. Most of these schools are affiliated to universities, and a few belong to independent law schools. Law schools are divided into public and private schools. Public schools are mainly established by the state government, and students are mainly from the state.
Generally speaking, the tuition fees of state universities are lower than those of private universities, but some famous state universities are also expensive. Law schools in private universities account for the majority, such as Harvard University, Yale University and Columbia University in the east, Chicago University in the midwest and Stanford University on the Pacific coast, and their students come from all over the country. Including many international students.
ABA-accredited university law schools basically adopt the same teaching plan, but professors are free to arrange courses. Generally, you need at least three years of full-time study to get a Bachelor of Laws (JD). If you want to go to another university for further study after graduation, you can get a Master of Laws (LLM) for your study and research in 1 year. To get a doctorate (JSD), you need further study and research. But the average student is mainly engaged in the lawyer profession, so it is enough to get JD for three years.
2. Admission conditions
Law students usually enter school in autumn. Before entering school, you must get a law degree and do well in school. At the same time, you must provide good grades in the LSAT so that you can be admitted to the school. This situation will be introduced in detail later.
3. Daily study and life at school
In the first year, I studied basic courses of law, such as contract, tort, property, agency, civil liability and legal writing. Criminal law and civil procedure law are also subjects of study in grade one. The first year of a three-year law course is the most difficult. There is not much class time (about ten hours a week), but students spend two or three hours preparing lessons in each class. Every year in the final exam, we should redouble our efforts.
The courses students take in the second year are related to basic legal issues caused by industrial and commercial activities, such as commercial law and company law. At the same time, I also study the basic subjects of public law, such as constitution, administrative law and tax law. Besides, you should take accounting courses.
In the third year, most courses are optional courses.
4. Lawyers' Practice Examination and Others
Every state in the United States holds a bar exam. If you want to practice in a certain state, you must take the bar exam sponsored by that state. After obtaining a lawyer's license through a certain conduct inspection, you can represent the parties in the state court. Only in the United States will they be elected as judges, so students will not have the opportunity to be judges immediately after graduation. But some excellent students may have the opportunity to be clerks of famous judges for a year or two. Some students hope that teachers can encourage them to work in relevant departments for several years in the future, and then return to school to teach or further their studies.