Civil Rights Attorney
When one wishes to fight for social justice for a living, they may decide to become a civil rights attorney. Civil attorneys fight to stop discrimination and fight for the people who have experienced: whether the discrimination is based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion or age. Civil attorneys are responsible for fighting lawsuits, many of which are based on employment and housing discrimination. They also fight cases involving racial profiling, sexual harassment and many other issues.
• When someone decides to become a civil attorney, there are several steps that they must take. The first step is receiving an undergraduate degree from an accredited university. Civil attorneys should try to get a background in history or political science when they are getting their bachelor’s degree. These subjects focus heavily on past and recurring incidents of discrimination against various groups. A civil attorney should know the history of civil rights. As a lawyer they may be able to look back on some of the things they learned to help them with discrimination cases. Getting good grades will increase the chances of getting into a top law school.
• After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, the individual who wants to be a civil attorney should take the Law School Admissions Test, also known as the LSAT. One cannot become a civil attorney if they do not pass this test, since this test is needed to get into law school. A high grade on the LSAT will be a tremendous help to a future civil attorney when it comes to being accepted by a top law school. The next step is applying to law schools. A student who wants to be a civil attorney should try to find a law school that has many specialty courses in and human rights and civil issues. While all law school will have some, some law schools may have a greater specialization for people wishing to become civil attorneys. Taking the right law school courses will help a student gain a better understanding and knowledge of the work they will be performing as a civil attorney.
• While in law school, an individual who wants to be a civil attorney should try to find an internship. Internship at law firms that specialize in discrimination cases would be the best bet for gaining experience in the field. Another place to try for an internship is any non-profit organization that concentrates on civil rights. The learning experiences gained at these places will give the civil attorney a solid background of experience in civil rights.
The last step to receiving a law degree is passing the Bar exam for the state that the individual wishes to be a civil attorney in. The student is not licensed to give any type of legal counsel unless he or she has passed the Bar exam. It is only then that they can become a civil attorney.
