To become a licensed lawyer in the United States, you must earn a bachelor's degree and then complete a Juris Doctor (JD) program at an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school. No single degree qualifies you directly-it's the combination of undergraduate study and law school that meets the legal education standard.
The process begins with a bachelor's degree in any field. Law schools do not require a specific major, though students often choose political science, history, philosophy, or economics due to their focus on critical thinking and writing. You must complete at least 90 semester hours of accredited college coursework before applying to law school. The average applicant has a GPA above 3.5, and many successful candidates have taken the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) with scores above 160.
After earning a bachelor's degree, you enroll in a three-year JD program. These programs are graduate-level and culminate in a professional doctorate in law. Upon graduation, you must pass your state's bar exam to practice law. The ABA requires all law schools to meet rigorous standards for faculty, curriculum, and student support. Without ABA accreditation, a JD cannot be used to sit for the bar in most states.
There is no direct "law degree" at the undergraduate level. Instead, aspiring lawyers build foundational skills during their bachelor's studies. Courses in logic, research, and argumentation prepare students for the analytical demands of law school. For example, a student majoring in English literature develops strong reading comprehension and written analysis-skills essential for drafting legal briefs.
Once admitted to law school, students take courses in contracts, torts, criminal law, property, and civil procedure. These are core subjects required in all ABA-approved programs. By the end of the first year, students typically take a series of exams covering these areas. The second and third years include advanced electives such as environmental law, intellectual property, or international human rights law.
Many law schools also require students to participate in clinical programs or legal clinics. These provide hands-on experience in real cases under supervision. For instance, a student at the University of Michigan Law School might represent low-income tenants in eviction hearings through the Civil Rights Clinic. This practical training is a key component of legal education.
The process to becoming a lawyer involves two distinct academic levels:
| Stage | Required Degree | Duration | Accreditation Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Bachelor's degree (any field) | 3-4 years | Regional accrediting agency |
| Graduate | Juris Doctor (JD) | 3 years | American Bar Association (ABA) |
Some students pursue additional credentials after earning their JD. A Master of Laws (LL.M.) is a specialized graduate degree for foreign-trained lawyers or those seeking expertise in a niche area like tax law or cybersecurity regulation. However, an LL.M. is not required to practice law in the U.S.
It's common to confuse the JD with a PhD. While both are doctoral degrees, the JD is a professional degree focused on legal practice, whereas a PhD is research-based and leads to academic careers. A JD does not qualify someone to teach law at the university level unless they also earn a PhD in law or a related field.
One widespread misunderstanding is that a specific undergraduate major is required to enter law school. This is false. Law schools accept applicants from all disciplines. A biology major can become a patent attorney; a music major can specialize in entertainment law. The ABA explicitly states that no major is preferred or mandated.
Another error is assuming that a JD is equivalent to a master's degree. It is not. The JD is a professional doctorate, higher in academic rank than a master's. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the JD is classified as a first-professional degree, placing it alongside the MD and Pharm.D. It is not a terminal degree in the same way a PhD is.
For example, a student who earned a bachelor's in computer science from MIT and scored a 172 on the LSAT was admitted to Harvard Law School. After completing the JD, they passed the New York bar exam and now work as a tech policy attorney. Their success came not from a traditional pre-law major, but from strong performance on standardized tests and a compelling personal statement.
Consider Maria, a 22-year-old from Texas who studied sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. She maintained a 3.8 GPA and scored a 168 on the LSAT. She applied to five ABA-accredited law schools and was accepted into the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Over three years, she took courses in constitutional law, evidence, and legal writing. She also completed a summer internship at a public defender's office in Oakland.
After graduating, Maria sat for the California bar exam. She passed on her first attempt and was admitted to the State Bar of California. She now works as a defense attorney in San Francisco, handling misdemeanor cases. Her path followed the standard route: bachelor's degree → LSAT → JD → bar exam → license to practice.
Her story illustrates that the path to becoming a lawyer is structured but flexible. The key requirement is not the subject of your bachelor's degree, but your ability to succeed in law school and pass the bar exam. The ABA reports that 75% of first-time bar exam takers in 2023 passed, with higher rates among graduates from top-tier law schools.
The correct answer to "what degree to be a lawyer" is: a bachelor's degree followed by a Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited institution. This dual structure helps future lawyers possess both broad academic preparation and specialized legal training.