Las Vegas, Nevada, is a rapidly growing city of 635,000 with an increasing demand for legal services. Aspiring attorneys may find that a career in Las Vegas is both fulfilling and lucrative.
Jennifer Abrams, a divorce attorney practicing in Las Vegas, NV, shares the requirements for becoming a practicing lawyer in the city, detailing the actions that a fellow attorney should take to become certified to practice
Future lawyers must receive a bachelor’s degree
To become an American Bar Association-approved lawyer, it is necessary to attend a four-year college approved by the ABA and receive a Bachelor’s degree. There are no specific majors in Nevada, though many attorneys choose to major in political science, pre-law, and English.
Receiving a broad-based liberal arts education is excellent preparation for the rigors of law school since it teaches critical thinking and research skills.
Students should ensure that their undergraduate curriculum includes studies of human nature, history, oral and written communications, economics and business, philosophy, and political science.
Law school is required to practice in Nevada
Students who aspire to law school must have excellent grades and professor recommendations for admission. The top law schools are incredibly competitive, and students should be prepared for a grueling course of action.
Take the LSAT test
To apply for law school, most students in Nevada will need to take the LSAT test in their final year in law school. This score will help law schools determine the strongest applicants and help them make admission decisions.
The LSAT test covers reading comprehension as well as logical and analytical reasoning. The test also includes a writing sample which will be mailed to the law schools the candidate wants to consider attending.
The LSAT measures a prospective lawyer’s ability to manage and organize information, think critically, evaluate and analyze arguments and reasoning, and comprehend lengthy, complex texts. This test is frequently used to weed out students who are not prepared to enter law school and the legal profession in general.
Attend law school
Nevada state regulations do not specify that law students must receive their legal education locally to sit for the state bar exam. Students may attend any ABA-accredited law school in the United States.
In Nevada, there is only one ABA-accredited law school. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law is available for students who want to receive their law degree in Nevada.
Law school represents a grueling and rigorous education. Students take classes that emphasize critical thinking and knowledge of the law. They study briefs of landmark cases and practice formulating legal arguments. They receive a grounding in Nevada state law as well as federal law.
Internships
Most ABA-accredited law schools require internships in community service programs, legal aid clinics, government agencies, and law firms.
Receive a legal degree
Many lawyers choose to receive dual degrees like JD/Master of Social Work or JD/Master of Business Administration to help them expand their career options.
Nevada state bar exam
To take the Nevada state bar exam, candidates must fulfill all of the requirements listed above. They must be present and available in the State of Nevada until the Bar has fully completed its examination and any related investigations or hearings.
In addition, candidates for the Nevada bar exam must possess strong personal character. They must demonstrate that they are free of emotional and mental problems, avoid abusing drugs, have financial responsibility, and have not been refused admission to the bar or disbarred in any other state.
Jennifer Abrams notes that if a candidate for the Nevada state bar exam has been practicing for ten years or more in another state, they will be admitted to the exam despite attending a non-ABA accredited law school.
Lawyers who have graduated from schools in foreign countries cannot take the Nevada bar exam unless tested in functional equivalency.
Taking the exam
The Nevada bar exam takes place over two-and-one-half days. It includes writing eight separate essays based on Nevada law, including subjects like community property, ethics, corporations, domestic relations, wills, and estates, among many others. The test also includes the MBE, a 200-question multiple-choice test.
Practicing law in Nevada
After passing the Bar, a Nevada attorney is ready to begin practicing in the state. Law school and exams are rigorous but that is only the beginning of a career the Nevada legal community.
Jennifer Abrams encourages potential applicants to the Nevada bar to observe court proceedings and gain exposure to legal proceedings by working in law firms or the courts or volunteering time through Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Southern Nevada Senior Law Program, Volunteer Attorneys for Rural Nevadans, or Washoe Legal Services. Volunteer opportunities are available for non-lawyers, law students, and lawyers.
Story by Candace Crosby
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