Criminal Lawyer Education and Training Requirements

To become a criminal lawyer, you'll need to complete the necessary education, including law school. You'll also need to pass the bar exam in your state to earn your license.

We've broken down all the requirements to become a criminal lawyer below.

Earn a Bachelor's Degree

Before you can begin law school, you'll need to earn a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree is a four-year undergraduate degree.

There is no specific major required to get into law school. If you know you're interested in criminal law, you may want to major in criminal justice or criminology.

Other common majors for pre-law students include:

• Communications
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology

You'll want to choose a major that not only covers your area of interest, but helps you develop your communication, problem-solving, and research skills.

Take the LSAT and/or GRE

For a long time, most law schools required applicants to take and submit their scores from the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

The LSAT is a standardized test offered by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) that is meant to predict how well a student will do in law school.

The test is made up of four multiple-choice sections: logical reasoning, reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, plus an unscored experimental section. There is also a writing section.

Recently, more law schools have been accepting the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) in place of or in addition to the LSAT.

The GRE is a standardized test offered by the Educational Testing Service. It's required for many graduate programs, not just law school.

Attend and Complete Law School

Law school programs typically take three years to complete, with the first year being the most rigorous. The first year is usually a standard curriculum covering general law topics.

Once you reach the second and third years, you'll have more of an opportunity to choose elective courses that cover criminal law.

You may also be able to participate in judicial clerkships and legal externships in criminal law settings to help you get first-hand experience in criminal law.

Some law schools offer a stronger education in certain specialties. When applying to law schools, you'll want to choose one that is particularly strong in criminal law.

When you graduate from law school, you'll be awarded a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

Pass the Bar Exam

Before you can practice law, you'll need to take the bar exam for your state. These exams vary between states, but many states choose to use the Uniform Bar Exam.

The Uniform Bar Exam is offered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). It's made up of three parts: an essay, performance tasks, and a multiple-choice exam.

The multiple-choice exam is made up of 200 questions. These questions cover:

• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law
• Contracts
• Criminal Law and Procedures
• Evidence
• Real Property
• Torts

The following states do not use the Uniform Bar Exam:

• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Nevada
• South Dakota
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

Graduate students of Marquette University Law School and the University of Wisconsin Law School have what's called 'diploma privilege' and do not need to take the bar exam.

Obtain Your License

Once you've passed the bar exam, you can finish fulfilling your state's requirements for admission to the bar and earn your license to practice law.

Requirements vary between states, but most require applicants to have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school and to have passed the bar exam.

Many states also require that you meet character and fitness requirements. This may be determined through an interview process.

Depending on your state, there may be other requirements, such as passing a background check.

After you've been admitted to your state's bar, your state may require you to take continuing education courses to keep your license current.