To practice as a child abuse lawyer, you will typically need to pursue and complete a law degree, usually in a family law program. Prior to that, you must obtain a high school diploma or an equivalent certificate, as well as complete an undergraduate program at a college or university. You can start looking for a law school after you finish your undergraduate program. To practice law as a child abuse attorney, you must complete your juris doctorate (JD) and pass the state bar exam in the state or area where you wish to practice.
Obtaining a high school diploma or a general educational development (GED) certificate is usually the first step toward becoming a child abuse lawyer. This will enable you to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a college or university, which typically takes four years to complete. A bachelor’s degree is typically not required for pursuing a law degree, though you might consider a criminal justice or psychology degree.
Before you can be accepted into a law program, most colleges require you to do well on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). If you want to practice law as a child abuse lawyer in a specific state or country, you should look into the requirements for that state or country. In the United States, for example, you must pass the state bar exam in the state where you wish to practice law, which usually necessitates earning a law degree from an accredited college or university.
Look for a law school in the state where you want to practice as a child abuse lawyer, as this will usually better prepare you for the state exam. Looking for a school with a specialized focus on family law or child abuse law can also be beneficial. While you’ll probably spend the first year or so of law school studying general law, you might be able to find a program that allows you to concentrate on child and family law in your final year.
You can take any tests required to be licensed to practice law and become a child abuse lawyer once you have completed your law school program and received your JD. In the United States, this means taking and passing the state bar exam in the state where you want to practice. After passing the exam and becoming licensed to practice law, you can concentrate on child abuse cases. To become a child abuse lawyer, you may want to look for a law firm that specializes in family law or contact local Child and Family Services offices.