Once you live in New Hampshire state and want to start a career as an attorney your first step must be obtaining a New Hampshire attorney license. The process is simple. It is just a matter of several simple stages to be fulfilled.
Thus this guide will walk you through those stages. After fulfilling all the steps successfully you can acquire your New Hampshire attorney license and become a demanded lawyer in the state.
Steps for Becoming a New Hampshire Attorney
Becoming a lawyer requires much effort and time. The step-by-step guidance may familiarize the process.
Getting NH Undergraduate
This is the starting point of the lawyer career. Here it is a must to complete a minimum of three years of college credits or obtain a bachelor's degree. You must do it before attending law school for the NH bar exam.
In undergraduate academies, there is no fixed coursework. You can take courses that can best help you to develop your skills in writing and oral communication, reading comprehension, logical reasoning, critical thinking, and so on.
Among those courses are history, English, philosophy, economics, political science, and many others. They all develop the above-mentioned skills.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Taking an LSAT comes next, after getting a bachelor's degree. It is for evaluating verbal reasoning and reading skills. The application process is very simple. You can send both the application and the payment of $190 online at the LSAT website.
Here you are to create a private account which will be valid for five years. You may prepare for the test before taking it. On this website, there are available resources that may help you prepare.
The test contains about 100 multiple-choice questions. For passing the test successfully you are to get at least a 120 score. You will be informed about your test results about three weeks after taking it.
Law School Completion
As a future lawyer, your next step must be applying to an academy of your choice. Those academies are ABA-approved. Thus, it is mandatory to be a graduate of such an academy in the USA.
In NH there is only one ABA-approved school (University of New Hampshire School of Law). When applying you will have an online form. The coming fee is $195 here. At this school, you will obtain a Juris Doctor (JD) degree which is mandatory before taking the state's bar exam.
During law academy years you can take part in a kind of internship, externship, or other practical experiences. They are to give you a chance to work in a specialized area of law.
State Bar Exam
After graduating from school it comes to the final and most important stage. You are to take the bar exam. Whether you are a graduate of an ABBA-approved academy or not you are to meet the basic requirements for becoming an NH lawyer. To explain, you must be legally trained in the common law. You may apply for the exam about six months before it is scheduled to be.
Generally, the examination lasts two days. If you fail the exam you can retake it a maximum of four times. In case of passing it, you will be mailed about it. You will also be notified of the time and place of the bar admission ceremony.
Once you get through all the steps successfully you can get your New Hampshire attorney license and start your current career as an attorney in NH.
As a rule, you are to complete 12 hours of CLE (Continuing Legal Education) for maintaining your existing license.
Opportunities For a Licensed Attorney
NH Bar Association provides you with multiple opportunities as a lawyer having a New Hampshire attorney license. You can either start your practice or join an already-established firm.
You may also have a chance to specialize in a particular area of legal practice. This additional certification requires you to take an exam too.
In the end, lawyers in NH earn an average of $130,000 yearly.
