Steps to Becoming a Civil Rights Attorney
Civil rights attorneys represent clients who have encountered discrimination in regards to housing, employment and many other areas. It takes many years of education and hard work to become a civil rights attorney. If you are planning to pursue this career, you need to plan properly and do some research to learn the requirements you must meet before you can become a civil rights attorney.
- Complete your undergraduate education. This usually takes four years of studies in an accredited college. You can graduate in any major you want, however, if you plan to become a civil rights attorney, it is a good idea to major in political science, history or criminal justice.
- Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). It is very important that you pass with a high score in order to improve your chances of getting accepted into law school.
- Apply for admission into law school. Submit required documents including your college transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement explaining your career plans and why you are interested in civil rights law.
- Complete law school. This takes about three years of studies and upon completion you will be awarded a juris doctorate degree. The first two years cover the basics of federal law. If you are interested in practicing civil rights law, you should consider taking advanced courses in civil practice, constitutional law and discrimination law.
- Obtain your license. Once you have completed law school, you must obtain a license in the state where you plan to practice law. You may be required to pass the state bar exam and also the multi-state professional responsibility exam (MPRE). You will also need to pass a fitness and character investigation and this involves checking your criminal record and other things.