Most lawyers are admitted to practice law within Pennsylvania by successfully completing the state bar exam. Pennsylvania also has an individual fitness and character requirement for attorneys who wish to take the state bar exam. Attorneys who wish to take the individual bar exam must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an approved law school. The Bar Admission Rules clearly define which law schools are approved by the state to be used for licensing as an attorney.
If you wish to become an attorney in any state, whether it is New York, Maryland, or Pennsylvania, you must pass the state bar exam. The best bar associations to obtain your legal education are the Association to Advance Collegiate Law, or ABA; the National Association of Legal Assistants, or NALA; and the National Association of Legal Assistants, or NALA. While these organizations have different focuses, they all strive to provide attorneys with the education they need to pass the state bar exam. In addition to obtaining your undergraduate degree, many lawyers also participate in graduate studies at an approved university or college. While an advanced degree such as a Masters or Doctoral degree does not ensure that you will become an attorney, it certainly will help you to develop skills necessary to effectively represent clients in both small claims and big claims court.
If you are interested in becoming a lawyer, one of the first steps you should take is to find a reputable law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association, or ABA. In order to sit for the state bar exam, law students must pass both the state bar exam and the national bar exam. Once you have obtained an associate’s degree from a law college that is accredited by the ABA, you will be prepared to sit for the state bar exam. Attending a bar school that is accredited by the ABA will give you a distinct advantage over other law students who do not attend law schools that meet the standards required by the ABA.