How do I become a lawyer?

HOW DO I BECOME A LAWYER?

California

offers many

pathways

Unlike most other states with only a few law schools, California has over

50 law schools! They present a diverse array of opportunities at different

cost points to receive a legal education. In addition to ABA-accredited law

schools, we have California-accredited law schools and registered,

unaccredited law schools. Some schools offer flexibility and opportunities

for those who need it, including programs that are fully online, part-time or

at night, with leeway to spread out your study over four or more years.

California is one of only a few states

where you can become a lawyer

without going to law school, by

studying under a judge or attorney. It’s

four years of hard work or maybe more,

but it could be the right path for you!

Law Ofﬁce Study Program

LAW

Law Schools

Stay in school

Get good grades, and

ask for help if needed

Extracurricular activities:

Does your high school have a

Law Academy? Debate team?

College fairs

Community colleges

Ask counselors about:

I’M IN HIGH

SCHOOL

Study Plan Explore

Assistance programs

Scholarships

Grants for college

Take classes that require writing,

logic, and critical thinking, such

as communications, public

speaking, and political science

Get good grades, and ask for

help if needed

Study for the Law School

Admissions Test (LSAT), and

consider investing in prep

courses if available (Check out

our resource list for a free one!)

Learn about the legal

profession–visit law schools,

intern at a law office or legal

aid organization, attend

court proceedings

Join your school’s pre-law

organization

Ask a lawyer to take 15

minutes to chat with you

about their career

Ask counselors about assistance

programs, scholarships, and grants

for law school

Check law school websites for

information about how to get ready,

and any grants or scholarships they

offer

Look into your local bar association

or affinity bar associations for

grants or scholarships. You'll find a

list on our Resource Page

Study PlanExplore

I’M IN

COMMUNITY

COLLEGE OR

UNDERGRAD

In California, qualified applicants can take the bar exam without going to law

school. Most law schools require a college degree, but some may only ask for

equivalent course work, and some law schools focus on your legal interest

and life experiences and not on your grades or LSAT scores.

I’M NOT IN

SCHOOL, AND I

DIDN’T GRADUATE

FROM COLLEGE

If being a lawyer is your dream, you can achieve it!

START

Access the online version

of this handout for more

information and resources.

YOU WANT TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

State Bar of California

Be a Lawyer.

make a

DIFFERENCE.

BECOMING A LAWYER IS

A POWERFUL WAY TO

HAVE REAL IMPACT.

Alicia Valencia, Esq., Senior Counsel

Employer Defense Group

Born in Central America (El Salvador). Raised in the Bay

Area. Firsthand experience of the immigrant struggle

inspired study of law. Attended UCSB as an

undocumented student. Went on to USF law. Internship

in immigration and judicial externship in domestic

violence before graduating

and has since amassed

extensive experience in all aspects of Workers

Compensation litigation.

Alicia Valencia

THEN

NOW

THEN

NOW

Alex’s parents escaped political persecution in China.

Their journey, as well as Alex’s own experience

growing up in Southern California and Hong Kong as a

transgender American, inspired him to ﬁght for civil

rights. He studied his way to Harvard, Columbia, and

Oxford, clerked for judges in California, and now leads

a clinic at Harvard protecting LGBTQ+ rights.

Alexander Chan, Founding Director

Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic

Alexander Chan

Lisa J. Cisneros, Magistrate Judge

Northern District Federal Court San Francisco

Raised in Salinas. Grew up loving to read and play

sports. Attended Brown University and UC Berkeley

School of Law. Worked at California Rural Legal

Assistance Inc., leading its LGBTQ Program, a model for

similar programs nationwide. Appointed by Governor

Brown to the Fair Employment and Housing Council.

Joined the Civil Rights Enforcement Section in the

California Ofﬁce of the Attorney General in Feb. 2019.

Appointed as federal magistrate judge in Nov. 2022.

Lisa Cisneros

THEN

NOW

David Kelly, Chief Business Ofﬁcer

Golden State Warriors

Born in Chicago. Attended Morehouse College and

the University of Illinois College of Law. Before

settling into a law career, was a rap musician and

founder of a record label and music producer,

releasing eight albums and touring internationally.

Established a successful practice in corporate

and sports law before joining the Warriors in 2012.

THEN

NOW

THEN

NOW

As a lawyer, you can work for justice. You can create change and right the wrongs you see in

your community. You can help people who need a passionate and effective advocate.

Truth is, lawyers can work in just about any ﬁeld. You can have a career in politics, business,

education, healthcare, environmental or criminal justice, sports, entertainment, or any

combination.

In government, lawyers write laws as legislators or their staff, apply and enforce them in

executive branch departments, and interpret them as judges. The possibilities are endless.

All sorts of people, from all walks of life, become lawyers. Undocumented immigrants. Rap

musicians. Creative people. Passionate people. Lots of people just like you. Becoming a lawyer

takes hard work and dedication, but it’s possible!

Think a law career is out of reach for you? IT IS NOT.

Worried about the cost? Don’t let that stop you.

Check around, there are lots of ways to become a lawyer, and many organizations offer ﬁnancial

support and resources to help students with the grit to study the law.

Defend our rights to be treated fairly at work, to be free to assemble and protest peacefully, and

against unlawful search and seizure

Help people achieve U.S. citizenship

Negotiate deals with musicians, actors, and athletes

Protect our communities from pollution and keep them safe and strong

Write or change the laws by running for ofﬁce or working with an ofﬁceholder, or decide what

the laws mean by becoming a judge or a research attorney

Develop new businesses and create new opportunities for yourself and your community

Help people stay in their homes and get public assistance when needed

Fight to make sure everyone gets equal rights and the wages, beneﬁts, and protections they

deserve

And more!

Okay, so what do lawyers actually do?

Meet some of California's inspirational lawyers

Born and raised in California's Imperial Valley as the

daughter of Mexican immigrants. Now the 1st Latina

Chief Justice of California. Committed to promoting

diversity and inclusivity in the judiciary, as well as

technology that furthers access to justice for

Californians. Passionate about civic education and

increasing the provision of pro bono legal services to

underserved communities.

Patricia Guerrero

Chief Justice of California

Patricia Guerrero

Want to learn more? Yes! Check out the path to becoming a lawyer on the back.

David Kelly