Here’s a fun fact: Abraham Lincoln didn’t go to law school. He independently studied the law, registered with the Sangamon County Court in Illinois and passed an oral examination by a panel of attorneys. He was then given his license to practice law. In five states, you can still take this non-law school route to becoming a lawyer. Vermont, Washington, California, Virginia and Wyoming all allow people to become lawyers by “reading the law,” which, simply put, means studying and apprenticing in the office of a practicing attorney or judge. There are a number of reasons why this option is important: it makes becoming a lawyer more accessible to a wider demographic of people; it frees new lawyers from the shackles of law school debt; it allows lawyers to study in the communities they want to serve rather than leaving the area for law school; and more. The Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC) is taking the lead in educating people about legal apprenticeships. LikeLincoln, a website SELC created, offers a big picture glimpse into the legal apprenticeship movement with information, resources, advice and first-hand accounts from both supervising attorneys and apprentices. Using information found on SELC’s website and LikeLincoln, as well as interviews with legal apprentices and SELC’s co-founder Janelle Orsi, Shareable created the following how-to for becoming a lawyer without going to law school. Rules and requirements vary from state to state so check your local law, but here are some practical tips, best practices and virtual cheers of encouragement.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 23:50:57 +0000
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