Steps to Becoming a Lawyer in Indiana

Whether you’re a civil attorney or a criminal attorney, there’s always room for one more in Indiana. Lawyers are in high demand, and they’re in high regard there too. If you want to discover how to become a lawyer in Indiana, read on. It’s a long road, but the road well worth taking.

Get a College Education

At a minimum, the American Bar Association requires you to have a bachelor’s degree. They might even demand proof of that fact. That’s easy though if you go to the U.S. Department of Education and conduct a search for your school. The Department of Education maintains a list of every college in the country. If your college appears on that, you’re good to go.

Your Choices for Degrees

The ABA mandates that when you select a degree option, you have at least a bachelor’s degree. Although there is no such thing as a prelaw degree, law schools look favorably at the following degree programs:

  • Western Civilization.
  • Political Science.
  • Communications both oral and written.

The fact of the matter is that no one law school is going to shun you away because you majored in oriental studies or in botany. If it’s challenging and worthwhile, there’s more than one law school around the country who will accommodate you.

The LSAT

Taking the Law School Admission Test is a mandatory prerequisite to attending an ABA accredited law school. You’ll want to do as well on it as possible to assure you of getting into the law school of your choice. Here’s what you’ll be confronted with:

  • Logical Reasoning: These consist of two sets of hypotheses, from which you must dissect both the strengths and weaknesses.
  • Reading Comprehension: One section is about 500 words, and about 500 words per passage. Test takers are to find the main idea of the passage, draw inferences, describe their structure and find data.
  • Analytical Reasoning: These are “logic games.” You must draw conclusions and statement based on logical reasoning.
  • Unsecured Variables: This section is unscored. It might be on any of the above, and not to be determinative of your score.
  • Writing Sample: This will go to the law schools that you apply to. You’ll write a sample giving one side or the other. It’s not figured into the final score.

Find more LSAT resources and preparation materials here.

The LSAC

This entity, the Law School Admissions Council, will accept your application and funds to take the test. Current application fees are $215 and an additional fee of $45 per school is required. Even if you’re only applying to one school, the who $135 fee is due. If more than three schools are applied to, add an additional $45 per school.  LSATs are given frequently at different schools across the country. Results are mailed out about three weeks after the test.

The CAS

The CAS stands for the Credential Assembly Service. An applicant to any ABA accredited law school must use them. The LCAS helps create packages to the law school that you’ll be applying to. It’s your responsibility to provide the CAS with the following:

  • Transcripts of all colleges that you attended, including foreign colleges.
  • Names of all people who will write you recommendations.
  • Number of persons who will provide you with online evaluations of your work and character.

The CAS fee is $195 plus $45 for every report fee sought. There are four ABA accredited law schools in Indiana. It will take a minimum of two and at least seven years to complete your law school studies. The ABA minimum is 83 total hours. Most If not all of the law schools require you to complete at least 90 hours. Clinical programs will be not only allowed but encouraged. You’ll be grades in your work by a field supervisor and faculty who will visit your site.

Taking the Indiana Bar Exam

After graduation from an ABA accredited law school, it becomes time to prepare to take the bar exam. Under restrained circumstances, it may be possible to take it earlier. The bar exam is given during February and July. The Indiana bar exam consists of three parts. The first part is the Indiana Essay Exam consisting of questions from pleading administrative law to and practice to wills, trusts and estates. The second part consists of the Multistate Performance Tests. These involve a file and a library. You’ll be asked to write a brief or a memo detailing legal and factual analysis, organization and managing tasks and recognition of legal issues. The third part of the exam covers the Multistate Bar exam with 200 questions. There will be 100 in the morning and 100 in the afternoon.

Application Process

Make certain that you register with the Indiana Bar Admissions. Then, submit your application online to the Indiana Bar Examination online. The filing fee is $250 but if an application is taken after April 16, or November 16. Provide three references, provide a recent photo of yourself and have your fingerprints taken at a local police station. Character and fitness examination will follow at least 30 days before the bar exam.

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam

Your required to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam with a passing score of 80 or above. It must be passed on or within two years after passing the bar exam.

After passing the bar exam, there is still one more thing. You must get sworn in. After that, you’ll be fully licensed to practice anywhere in the Indiana courts or its appellate courts. Congratulations! You’re a lawyer now.