So you want to become a lawyer. Lawyers have a good reputation when it comes to career fulfillment and hard work. They often find themselves helping the right person for the right reasons. Other times, they have to deal with difficult clients. But overall, it’s a career worth preparing for. There are many things to learn in the path to becoming a lawyer such as hard and soft skills.
Lawyers like Malliha Wilson are great examples of how a lawyer can succeed in the Great White North. Malliha Wilson has been in the legal industry since before she was born. Her family has a long background in human rights activists, beginning with her grandfather, S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, a Ceylon Tamil lawyer and politician. Wilson followed in his footsteps when she decided to join the legal world to become an attorney at her own law firm, Nava Wilson LLP. Before opening her firm, she worked for the government of Ontario as an Assistant Deputy Attorney General. She also worked as the Legal Director for the Ministry of Labour and Director of the Crown Law Office-Civil. Now, she works on complex litigations, corporate law, and real estate cases in her firm, among other types of cases. To become a successful lawyer in Canada like Malliha Wilson, here are a few things you’ll need to do.
Choose a Field
One of the first things you’ll need to do is find a field of work within the law industry that you like. The legal industry has many branches that you can work in and some can be complemented with others as well. For instance, you can work in corporate law or labor law, or both. You can also work as a bankruptcy attorney or as a constitutional lawyer. The idea here is to find your passion and set sail to your career.
Undergraduate Degree
Next, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. Depending on your interests, this bachelor’s degree can be in almost any field—business, criminology, arts, or science. Begin searching for the right degree and college and fill out their application to begin your journey into the law industry. If you plan to take the Bar exam, opt to choose a bachelor of law degree.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Once you complete your undergraduate degree, you’ll need to take the LSAT exam unless you’re planning to study in a Quebec-based law school. You can apply online to take this test in Canada. It will test your knowledge in reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning. They will also ask you for a writing sample on a specific topic to be sent with your application.
Law School
Now that you’ve passed the LSAT, it’s time to attend law school. There are over two dozen law schools in Canada with varying tuition fees, applicant numbers, requirements, and philosophies, so be sure to choose one that best fits your needs and interests. Once you’ve narrowed down your law school choices, send out your applications with the differing requirements, which may include a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and LSAT scores. You can complete law school in over three years and proceed to your final step in this preparation process.
Bar Exam
Lastly, you will need to take the Bar exam, but for this, you first need to pass a Bar Admissions Course. Once you do so, you will become a member of the Law Society of your specific province in Canada. You will also be able to, legally, practice law in every province in Canada and its territories.
Complete these steps to become an attorney at law and righteously help your clients win cases.
