Lawyers in California

The largest court system in the nation is in California. It caters to a population of more than 39.5 million that amounts to 12 percent of the total US population.

California has 58 Trial or Superior courts, in each of the state’s 58 countries. It has an approximate figure of 500 court buildings throughout the state. These courts have hearings on civil and criminal cases and matters about family, probate, mental health, juvenile, and traffic cases. The Courts of Appeal in the state are also known as the intermediate appellate courts. They are second to the trial courts in terms of judicial authority. If a party contests any decision of the Superior court, then the review usually is filed for hearing in the Courts of Appeal. Hence, in most cases, there are review cases of the Trial Courts. According to the Legislature, the state is geographically divided into six appellate districts. The Supreme Court is the highest court of the state. The Supreme Court (SC) has the judicial authority to review decisions of the Courts of Appeal and pass important judgments on important questions of law. That apart, only the SC has the discretionary power to review death sentences passed by the Trial Courts.

As of 2017, California has the highest rate of employment of lawyers, as per the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS). As of figures available till 2017, 79,980 lawyers were working at that time in the state. The average mean wage of these lawyers amounted to $168,200. Thus, the state of California is the second-highest wage-paying state of lawyers after the District of Columbia. Some attorneys in the state earn even higher than the average state salary. For instance, some lawyers based in the Glendale-Long Beach-Los Angeles metropolitan, have earned almost $170,201 annually. Lawyers in the San Mateo-San Francisco-Redwood City metropolitan have an average earning of $189,660 yearly. In addition to this, California also is the first state to issue certificates for legal specialization to members of Bars. This certificate allows the lawyers to demonstrate their expertise in one of the 11 areas of law practice. It includes admiralty and maritime law, bankruptcy law, criminal cases, taxation, etc.

How will you join the 80,000 practicing attorneys in California? These are the steps: –

Get a bachelor’s degree in any subject. Then pass the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). If your rank is high in the test, then you can get a chance in a good law school. Step three is to get a Juris Doctor Degree or Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD). ABA-accredited law schools are the most prestigious for becoming a lawyer. Then take the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination). Once you pass this, you need to take the Bar exam. The Bar exam is the final test and the most difficult. Most often, people fail this. The moment you pass this test, you will qualify to become a California Lawyer. You can start with interning at any local law firm as the first step, gain practice, and gradually become an experienced lawyer. 

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The largest court system in the nation is in California. It caters to a population of more than 39.5 million that amounts to 12 percent of the total US population.

California has 58 Trial or Superior courts, in each of the state’s 58 countries. It has an approximate figure of 500 court buildings throughout the state. These courts have hearings on civil and criminal cases and matters about family, probate, mental health, juvenile, and traffic cases. The Courts of Appeal in the state are also known as the intermediate appellate courts. They are second to the trial courts in terms of judicial authority. If a party contests any decision of the Superior court, then the review usually is filed for hearing in the Courts of Appeal. Hence, in most cases, there are review cases of the Trial Courts. According to the Legislature, the state is geographically divided into six appellate districts. The Supreme Court is the highest court of the state. The Supreme Court (SC) has the judicial authority to review decisions of the Courts of Appeal and pass important judgments on important questions of law. That apart, only the SC has the discretionary power to review death sentences passed by the Trial Courts.

As of 2017, California has the highest rate of employment of lawyers, as per the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS). As of figures available till 2017, 79,980 lawyers were working at that time in the state. The average mean wage of these lawyers amounted to $168,200. Thus, the state of California is the second-highest wage-paying state of lawyers after the District of Columbia. Some attorneys in the state earn even higher than the average state salary. For instance, some lawyers based in the Glendale-Long Beach-Los Angeles metropolitan, have earned almost $170,201 annually. Lawyers in the San Mateo-San Francisco-Redwood City metropolitan have an average earning of $189,660 yearly. In addition to this, California also is the first state to issue certificates for legal specialization to members of Bars. This certificate allows the lawyers to demonstrate their expertise in one of the 11 areas of law practice. It includes admiralty and maritime law, bankruptcy law, criminal cases, taxation, etc.

How will you join the 80,000 practicing attorneys in California? These are the steps: –

Get a bachelor’s degree in any subject. Then pass the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). If your rank is high in the test, then you can get a chance in a good law school. Step three is to get a Juris Doctor Degree or Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD). ABA-accredited law schools are the most prestigious for becoming a lawyer. Then take the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination). Once you pass this, you need to take the Bar exam. The Bar exam is the final test and the most difficult. Most often, people fail this. The moment you pass this test, you will qualify to become a California Lawyer. You can start with interning at any local law firm as the first step, gain practice, and gradually become an experienced lawyer. 

Your email address