A lawyer is an expert who has been specialized in law and is admitted into practice in one or several states. The qualified person has passed or has been certified through a non Bars exam or bar exam program. The qualified person is also expected to have special knowledge in the particular area of law practice. An attorney may also give legal advise and defend clients in court. He presents cases on behalf of individuals or organizations.
A person having the above education is entitled to practice law after he has passed the examination for practicing lawyers. In order to be eligible for admission into practice law, the candidates must pass the state bar examinations. Candidates having this degree of education are then eligible to apply for license. The license cannot be granted if the candidate is not qualified for a license.
In United States, every attorney has to get admitted in a bar examination conducted by the state board of examiners. Most states conduct this examination all over the country. Some states also have separate examination boards for practicing attorneys. Attorneys have to appear before the board and prove their eligibility to practice law. Once the attorney is admitted in practice law, he is entitled to give legal advice to his client.
In some countries like Australia, lawyers have to get admitted in a bar association. In such countries, there are separate commissions for practicing lawyers and other associated professions like doctors and accountants. The commissions are managed by the bar associations. A lawyer can become a member of the bar association by taking certain courses. Such courses enhance the lawyer’s knowledge in law practice and enhance their skills.
In United States, lawyers can become licensed attorneys by taking a course entitled “practice law.” In such training programs, the aspiring lawyers learn various techniques in criminal law and work as associates at law firms. When a person gets licensed, he can practice law independently. Practice lawyers have to follow the rules and regulations set by the state in which they practice law.
Attorneys can also work on a freelance basis, representing clients in criminal cases and handling civil cases, if they want to do so. Many attorneys work on a per case basis, as they handle a specific case and their clients have to pay them only if they win that case. As most of the attorneys are already familiar with their clients and the court system, their work involves high confidentiality.
Attorneys generally represent corporations or individuals. Corporate cases are very complex and involve huge financial stakes. Criminal law is concerned with punishing crime and it involves all sections of the penal code of each state. Criminal defense lawyers deal with cases ranging from misdemeanors to capital murder. Other special areas of law include fraud, corporate crime, intellectual property, family law, and child support.
A barrister must pass the bar exam and he must be a member of the law society. The bar association keeps a record of all lawyers who passed the bar exam and all the details about them. After becoming a member of the bar association, a lawyer can practice law and can be represented by a team of lawyers. If a client wishes to select a good barrister, then he should ask his friends or other professionals for a suitable recommendation.
Apart from his professional experience, the ideal candidate for a legal profession is a student who has passed the bar exam but does not possess any connection with law. This category includes ex-policemen and clerks who are not under law school supervision. There are also many students who have joined law school but do not wish to practice as a lawyer because they lack the necessary skills and knowledge about the law. In such a situation, they can get admission in a law school as a paralegal and take up the course of study similar to that of a normal law student.
To practice law, a lawyer must pass the bar exam and he must be a member of the law society. After being admitted to a law school, a new lawyer can get admission to the bar. However, there are certain requirements that a lawyer must fulfill before being admitted into a law school. A candidate who wants to be a practicing lawyer must pass the state bar exam and he must be a member of the bar. Before he can start practicing law, he must complete the pre-bar course offered by the state bar. Apart from this, he must pass the state bar exam and he can only be admitted into a law school if he has accomplished all these requirements.
The final examination for lawyers is the bar exam and it can be a tough examination. It involves multiple-choice questions and each answer has to be right or else the candidate will not be allowed to proceed. The skill and talent required for passing the examination lies in the ability to accumulate data and to use it to arrive at the correct answer. This can only be learnt after attending a law school and after studying the principles and theories that govern the practice of law.