Lawyers typically enjoy high earnings, continuous career growth and great earnings. That makes it a popular career path. The median salary for a lawyer in Kansas was about $93,000, but the average was about $110,000. There were about 8,300 resident lawyers practicing in Kansas. If you’d like to become a member of the bar in Kansas, read on.
The Kansas Board of Law Examiners requires an undergraduate degree from a program accredited by the U.S. Board of Education. It doesn’t say what the degree must be in though. On that basis, education need not be of a certain discipline. If an undergraduate student wishes to take a certain course of studies, an aspiring lawyer might want to take classes that are heavy on English, sociology, psychology, history and political science. It doesn’t really matter what an undergraduate major is though. A person will do well in just about anything he enjoys, and admissions committees find that the more enjoyable the subject matter, the better the grade point average.
Taking the LSAT
Before an accredited law school will accept you, you’ll have to take the LSAT though. LSAT stands for the Law School Admissions Test. The test is about six hours long, and it’s given four times per year at sites scattered around Kansas. Preparing for this test is essential. You’ll be given 35 minutes each to complete the following test questions:
- Logical Reasoning: You must identify weaknesses in an argument, or use valid information in an argument to formulate a conclusion.
- Analytical Reasoning: You’re described problems in various relationships, and you must provide answers in support of those relationships.
- Reading Comprehension: There is a reading comprehension portion where you will interpret certain passages that may or may not be related.
- Experimental Section There is an experimental section which you will not be told about. Your close attention to this section will be just as important as the others.
- Writing Sample: Your writing sample which is not scored, but it will be mailed to the schools that you apply to.
Application and Results
Your application for the LSAT must be made through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). The fee is $215 plus another $45 for three schools that you’ll apply to totaling $135. If more than three schools are applied to, add $45 per school. Test results will be mailed out about three weeks after the test. LSATs are given Mondays and Saturdays in November, January and March.
Preparing for the LSATs
Preparing for the LSAT is essential, even for the sharpest students. On that basis, there are several alternatives to studying for the tests. Some are better than others. Without mentioning which one is better than the others, just start asking around during your third year of law school. You’ll see where everybody is going, so go there too. They’re national, and they have the highest rate in the country.
The Law School Application Process
Any law school that is approved by the ABA is going to require you to go through the CAS or Credential Assembly Service on admissions. This service operates to standardize admission procedures. Each specific ABA law school has over 200 accredited law schools. The fee for registration at this service is $195. The fee for this is here are only two of such law schools in Kansas. Those are the University of Kansas Law School and the Washburn University School of Law. If you don’t wish to attend one of these, there are more than 200 other choices. Just make sure that you attend an ABA accredited law school though.
Taking the Bar Exam
Kansas has elected to take the Uniform Bar Exam. It consists of two days. One the first day of the exam, you will be given the Kansas Essay test. Topics are broad. They could range from domestic relations and family law, to constitutional law to trusts and administration. All are essays. On the second day, you’ll perform the Multistate Bar Exam which consists of 100 questions in the morning, and 100 more in the afternoon.
The Pass Rate
In 2022, a nearly unheard of 98% off all takers from the University of Kansas passed the exam. From Washburn University, 81% passed. This is still a notable figure when compared with other schools.
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam
After the bar exam, you must still have the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) to deal with. A passing score is 80.
Congratulations! You’re now a lawyer. You can practice in any state or appellate court throughout the State of Kansas.
