Attorneys typically concentrate their practice in one or two areas of the law. Some people want to work in the adoption field and thus become adoption attorneys. Different jurisdictions around the world may have different requirements for an attorney who wants to practice adoption law. The path to becoming an adoption attorney in the United States begins with the required education, followed by licensing and experience in adoption law.
In the United States, an aspiring attorney must first earn a bachelor’s degree after completing a four-year program. There is no such thing as a “pre-law” degree. A law school applicant may apply with a bachelor’s degree in any field. However, if an undergraduate student is certain that he or she wants to work as an adoption attorney, a psychology or social work major is a good choice.
A future attorney must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and apply to law school after finishing undergraduate school. Although the criteria for admission vary, most law schools look for a high LSAT score as well as a high undergraduate grade point average. A student must complete three years of law school after being accepted, culminating in a juris doctorate degree. Students interested in becoming adoption attorneys should look for internships or part-time jobs with the local juvenile or probate court, as well as with a local adoption agency or law firm that specializes in adoption law, while in law school.
All attorneys must become licensed in the state where they intend to practice law after graduating from law school. In most states, obtaining a license necessitates passing both the bar exam and the multi-state professional responsibility examination (MPRE). Licensing usually includes a character and fitness component.
After becoming licensed, an attorney interested in practicing adoption law should look for work with either a private firm or a state agency that facilitates adoptions. Adoptions are classified as either public or private. Adoptions of children who have been part of the public system, such as foster children, are not recorded in the public records. Every year, the local office of family and children, or a similar agency, handles a large number of adoptions of children who have been taken away from their biological parents and are now available for adoption.