How to Be a Lawyer in Texas | Follow These 8 Simple Steps (2022)

To become a lawyer in Texas, you must first earn your Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school. Once you have completed your studies, you must pass the Texas Bar Exam to be licensed to practice law in the state. After passing the bar exam, you must complete two years of legal experience under a licensed attorney’s supervision before applying for licensure as a lawyer in Texas.

What Is Required to Become a Lawyer in Texas?

Becoming a lawyer in Texas requires you to take several courses and pass the Texas Bar Exam. Below, we’ll walk you through the requirements you’ll need to meet to become a lawyer in Texas. 

Texas Bar exam: This is the exam you need to pass to be a lawyer in Texas. While the pass rates are high on this exam, the Texas Bar Exam is a challenging test many students fail. Texas Bar Exam pass rates are typically about 90-95% for first-time takers, so this is a test that you should be very confident in passing. 

Continuing legal education: To keep your license to practice law in Texas, you’ll need to prove that you’ve attended at least 8 hours of CLE within the past year. You’ll need to keep your license in good standing if you want to practice law in Texas. 

Law school: You’ll need to earn a J.D. from an accredited law school. The American Bar Association (ABA) offers a helpful list of accredited law schools in Texas. Once you’ve earned your law degree, you’ll be required to pass the Multistate Bar Exam and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam to maintain your credentials.

Required Courses for Becoming a Lawyer

While there is no set curriculum for becoming a lawyer, most law schools in Texas require students to complete several courses before graduating. In Texas, law students must complete systems such as Intro to Law, Property, Contracts and Torts, Constitutional Law, Federal Law, and Evidence.

English Composition: 

When you think about becoming a lawyer, you may imagine reading long, dense court decisions and legal treaties. While you’ll undoubtedly have to read a lot of literature to become a lawyer, you’ll most of the time read things like contracts, business forms, and other documents. The written word is an essential skill when trying to help others. While your proficiency may not be at a legal-writing level, it can still be a valuable skill to have. 

Lawyering Skills: 

While many people choose to become lawyers because they want to help others, many also want to become lawyers because they love learning about the law. When you decide to do law school, you’re choosing to commit the time necessary to learn how to help others who need legal representation. 

Students often choose to major in law because they think it’s interesting. While a law degree can be interesting, it can also be very challenging. If you’re going to law school for the challenge and not for the money, you’ll need to be prepared because it will take a lot of your time. 

Effective Communication: 

Lawyers are often required to communicate with others. When you go to law school, you’ll learn valuable communication skills that will help you out of difficult situations when you need to negotiate with people you don’t agree with or represent in court.

How to Become a Lawyer in Texas

The legal world has grown exponentially in the past decade. With so many new law firms and attorneys popping up, there is a massive demand for legal professionals. 

Whether you are looking for a new career opportunity or are just trying to find an affordable law school that will prepare you for the test, being a lawyer in Texas can be challenging. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. Follow the below step to becoming a successful lawyer in Texas.

• Go to law school
• Get a bachelor’s degree in law 
• MBA In-Law or LLM In-Law 
• Stay in a top university.
• Find a job as an attorney
• Practice law in Texas
• Keep learning and grow your skills 
• Join Bar Association
• Build your network
• Stay Top-Shelf

Go to law school

If you want to become a lawyer in Texas, you have first to earn a law degree. And while there are several law schools in the state, the best way to make your way to the top of the class is by attending one of the top universities in Texas. 

So if you’re interested in attending one of the state’s top law schools, check out the following list of the top law schools in Texas. If you’re curious about the cost of attending law school in Texas, check out our comprehensive guide to Texas law school costs.

Get a bachelor’s degree in law.

If you’d prefer to get into the legal field through a degree rather than through law school, you can consider getting a degree in law. After all, you don’t have to study law in a college or university to earn a law degree. The best way to go about it is by looking into online law degree programs. 

Law degree programs are designed to teach you the fundamentals of the legal field. And while you’ll have to put in the time and effort to earn your degree, it can provide you with more flexibility in terms of when you can enter the legal field. 

For instance, if you opt for a law degree program that requires you to put in time as a lawyer between earning your degree and practising law, you’ll be in a better position to find a job. Similarly, if you want to make a law degree online, you can use online law degree programs.

MBA In-Law or LLM In-Law

If you want to further your career in law and pursue an MBA or an LLM degree, then you’re in luck. Law schools in Texas and other states have programs that allow you to earn both a law degree and an MBA or an LLM degree simultaneously. 

This is a great way to increase your earning potential while expanding your knowledge of management-related subjects. Furthermore, you’ll be able to choose between specialization options such as business law, finance, or real estate. 

Of course, you’ll have to keep several factors in mind while choosing an MBA or LLM program that’s right for you. One of the most critical factors you’ll remember is the professors’ quality and the program’s curriculum.

Stay in a top university.

When it comes to choosing a law school, you’ll want to make sure that you choose a school that’s in the top 10 law schools in Texas. This is because top-tier law schools provide better resources for their students and provide them with more career support than other schools. 

The best way to find out which are the top law schools in the state is by checking out the ranking of the Best Law Schools in Texas. Furthermore, if you want to become a lawyer in Texas, you’ll want to make sure that you choose a law school in the top 10 U.S. cities. 

This is because top-tier law schools in these cities have better resources and provide students with more career support. Therefore, it’s essential to keep all these things in mind when deciding.

Find a job as an attorney.

Once you’ve earned your law degree, you can start looking for jobs as an attorney in Texas. There are several ways to do so. For example, you can either look for a job as an attorney through an online platform, or you can look for a job posting in the newspaper. 

Furthermore, if you know of any lawyers in your family or friends, you can ask them if they know of any open positions. If you’d like to work as an attorney, you’ll have to ensure that you have the necessary credentials, such as a law degree, an ethics law certification, and a passing score on the Uniform Bar Exam. 

Once you have these credentials, you can start applying for jobs as an attorney in Texas. Some of the top law schools in the state include the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Southern University, and Texas Tech.

Practice law in Texas

If you want to practice law in Texas, you’ll have to make sure you pass the bar exam. The Texas Board of Law Examiners administers the bar exam in paper-based and computer-based formats. Once you’ve passed the bar exam, you’ll have to ensure you’re a Texas Bar member. 

This organization comprises more than 160,000 lawyers who have passed the bar exam in Texas and more than 80,000 active members. In addition to having the necessary credentials and integrity, you also have to make sure that you have a law office. 

As a lawyer in Texas, you’ll have to abide by the rules and regulations that govern the profession. You can use the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct to ensure that you comply with the state’s professional conduct rules.

Keep learning and grow your skills.

Once you’ve earned your law degree, you can start looking for jobs as an attorney in Texas. But even before you’ve made your law degree, you can use law school as an opportunity to learn new skills and build your professional network. 

Law schools in Texas provide students with numerous opportunities to enrich their academic experience while also helping them build their professional networks. For instance, some law schools in Texas have legal clinics that provide students with direct experience in law practice. 

This allows students to practice law under the supervision of licensed attorneys and receive professional advice from faculty members. Additionally, law schools in Texas typically have research centres that allow students to conduct legal research and publish works that contribute to the state’s law review publications. Furthermore, many schools in Texas have moot courts that will enable students to practice law under the supervision of licensed attorneys.

Join Bar Association

Once you’ve passed the bar exam and become a Texas Bar member, you can use the bar association to strengthen your professional network. 

For example, some bar associations in Texas provide students with opportunities to join law review publications, participate in moot courts, and serve as editors of law journals. If you want to make the most of your membership with the bar association in Texas, then you can use the organization’s networking opportunities. 

For example, some bar associations in Texas have alumni networks that allow members to connect and use the alumni network for career advice and job opportunities. If you want to make the most of your membership with the bar association in Texas, then you can use the organization’s networking opportunities.

Build your network

Once you’ve earned your law degree, you can start looking for jobs as an attorney in Texas. But even before you’ve reached your law degree, you can make use of law school as an opportunity to build your professional network. Law schools in Texas provide students with numerous opportunities to enrich their academic experience while helping them develop their professional networks.

For instance, some law schools in Texas have legal clinics that provide students with direct experience in law practice. This allows students to practice law under the supervision of licensed attorneys and receive professional advice from faculty members. 

Furthermore, law schools in Texas typically have research centres that allow students to conduct legal research and publish works that contribute to the state’s law review publications. Furthermore, many law schools in Texas have moot courts that allow students to practice law under the supervision of licensed attorneys.

Final Word

It depends on your passion and interest if you want to become a lawyer in Texas. You will find that there are many career options in the legal field that include taking up various career options and are open to many different types of people.

No matter which type of law you want to work at, certain factors need to be taken into account and specific skills you must obtain. These experiences can help you in preparing for your career as a lawyer.

To become a lawyer in Texas, you will need to complete the requirements of the state bar. The requirements include obtaining a bachelor’s degree and passing the Texas state bar exam. You will also need to take the Texas Board of Legal Specialization examination. To apply for admission into the state bar and initial licensure as a lawyer, you must first complete the requirements for a law degree.

This can be obtained through a state-approved university or a law school approved by the American Bar Association. Once admitted to the state bar, you must pass the Texas Board of Legal Specialization licensing exam for initial licensure as a lawyer in Texas.

References

• https://ble.texas.gov/admission-without-examination
• https://whybecomealawyer.com/in-texas/
• https://law.utexas.edu/master-of-laws/bar-information-for-international-lawyers/
• https://texaslawhelp.org/article/how-to-select-a-lawyer
• https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/attorney-certificates-licensing-and-name-changes/