Some possible jobs within this career area are:
Legal and paralegal jobs do require training and certification because people who work in these fields handle sensitive matters. Depending on your goals, you could receive the training you need as little as one year. Typical degree and certification programs include:
- Job-specific Certificate
- Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Juris Doctor (Law Degree)
- Master’s Degree
- PhD
Legal jobs are continually growing and available, but job openings can become competitive when state and local budgets are cut. Many legal jobs are tied to local taxes, so be sure to continue your education and training to remain competitive in the job market.
Most jobs in the legal world take between one and three years for primary certification. A career as a lawyer can take up to seven years for complete certification and training – plus lawyers have to pass their state’s bar exam.
How to Become a Real Estate Attorney
A real estate attorney career involves all aspects of property legal issues, such as deed transfers, zoning issues, and mortgage transactions. Many real estate attorneys provide legal advice to companies about their real estate purchases, construction plans, and title transfers and may represent businesses in major property legal actions.
Education for a Real Estate Lawyer
All attorneys must earn a four-year degree and pass three years of law school as well as their state’s Bar Exam. To become a real estate attorney, in your undergraduate program you should concentrate on classes that will help your future performance as a lawyer, such as English, government, social science, and public speaking. Many aspiring real estate lawyers major in economics or business and take subjects that will help them learn logic, analysis, research, and communication.
The first year of law school will consist of core classes such as Constitutional Law, Torts, Civil Procedure, and Property Law. During your second and third years you will take courses more specific to real estate, such as real estate and land use, federal tax law, and business law classes as well as clinical work and concentrations in real estate law.
State Bar Examination
Before you can practice law you must take and pass your state’s Bar Examination. Each state administers its own exam, which typically consists of essay questions that are designed to test your knowledge of state law as well as basic legal principles. The State Bar Exam will take two or three days depending on your state, and is usually held only on specific days. Some states also use the Multistate Bar Examination as part of the State Bar Exam; this test is national and is only administered the last Wednesdays of February and July.
Real Estate Attorney Salaries
According to the website 1.Salary.com in 2010 the median real estate attorney salary was $116,902. The bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2008 the median wage of all attorneys, including real estate attorney salaries, was $68,500 nine months after graduation from law school. (Salary data retrieved 7/11/11)
To get started toward a career as a real estate lawyer, find a degree program now!