The world of law is incredibly vast. With the varying types of legal cases that need to be handled every day, it’s impractical for any one person to try to educate themselves on each kind of legal stream. When it comes to medical doctors, you rarely assume that they are trained in handling every type of surgery or illness. Instead, you expect that they specialize in their field and focus on one area of the body or handle one type of practice. Lawyers are no different. By taking the time to develop in-depth knowledge of a particular stream of law, they can ensure they can tackle each case that comes across their desk with confidence and understanding.
Let’s explore the journey below.
Undergraduate Degree
Your first step to becoming an injury lawyer is obtaining your undergraduate degree. While you are technically able to apply to law school after completing two years of an undergraduate program, it’s incredibly rare to actually be accepted at such an early stage of your education, so it’s become the norm to complete your degree first. There are no restrictions surrounding which type of degree you need to get, but some may help you better prepare for law school, such as English, political science, or business.
LSAT
As you begin to approach the end of your undergraduate degree, now is the perfect time to look into studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This multiple-choice test is fairly difficult, and the test results can impact your acceptance into law school. Therefore, some actually choose to wait until they’ve graduated from their undergrad program to give themselves time to study. The test is administered four times a year on a number of Canadian university campuses.
JD Degree
Following your successful completion of the LSAT, you can now apply to law school. The combination of your GPA from university and your LSAT score will determine whether you are admitted. The Juris Doctor (JD) degree lasts three years and establishes your foundation for the study of law. Regardless of what kind of law you hope to pursue, everyone is exposed to the same courses. However, there are opportunities for electives later on in the program, which allows you to explore classes that better suit your interests.
Articling
A form of apprenticeship, articling is often considered to be a fourth year of schooling. During this time, a lawyer or law firm agrees to take you on as a student and provide you with practical training and experience. It is your responsibility to find an articling position and is not guaranteed to you. However, this is the perfect opportunity to find a law firm that specializes in injury law, as it is an excellent first step to becoming an injury lawyer. Additionally, you are paid a salary based on your area of specialization.
Bar Admission Program
While articling, you must successfully complete the Practice Readiness Education (PREP) program. This is a nine-month course administered by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education that develops your competencies required to be admitted to the Bar.
Bar Call & Enrollment
After successfully completing your Bar admission requirements, you can now schedule your bar call and submit your application to enroll as a member of the Law Society of Alberta. It is once all documentation and applications are submitted and approved that you will be able to begin your journey as an injury lawyer!
Injury law is one such stream that lawyers, such as those at Edwards injury law, can devote their practice to. Dedicated to helping those who have experienced financial, emotional, and physical setbacks as a result of someone else’s carelessness, the study of injury law can be rewarding and fulfilling. But how does one become an injury lawyer?
