About Law
The Faculty of Law deals with the laws enacted in order to maintain healthy relations between people and societies and to resolve the problems and disputes that arise during these relations. The main objective of the department is to raise individuals who will regulate, supervise, develop and modernize these laws.
Since being a lawyer is seen among the respected professions in the society, the number of students who want to choose law school is quite high. The law department courses taught in the law department are basically; Introduction to law, basic law, Roman law, administrative law, criminal law, constitutional law, civil law, law of obligations. In addition, courses in the fields of social sciences such as philosophy, psychology, logic, political science, political history, economics, history of civilization are also taught. Law students focus on public law or private law courses depending on the field they will focus on, and take elective courses accordingly.
Career Paths for Law Degree Majors
The law faculties where the law department is taught is one of the faculties with the most job opportunities after graduation. This is a process that can take shape according to the areas you want to improve yourself and the profession you want to do. We can say that professions such as attorneyship, judgeship, judicial and administrative judgeship, prosecutor's office, legal counsel, and notary public are the first legal professions that come to mind in this field. Apart from these, individuals who have graduated from economic and administrative sciences, political sciences, economics and similar university faculties are also entitled to take many exams and professions, for example district governorship, specializations in different public institutions, inspectorships, and law job opportunities include government or private companies. It is also possible to act as a corporate lawyer. In addition to these, they can also provide consultancy to companies or individuals by improving themselves in different areas of expertise that have gained popularity in recent years. In addition, doing academic studies and being an academic staff, which is an area that every undergraduate graduate can focus on, may also be one of the choices.
Law graduates receive the title of lawyer as soon as they finish their internship, even if they do not immediately graduate. In addition, depending on their profession, they may have titles such as judge, prosecutor, notary public, expert, inspector, consultant.
What Skills Do I Need to Become a Lawyer?
It would not be wrong to say that the three most important qualities that individuals who want to study at law school or who will work in this field should have in order to be successful are to have a good memory, ability to analyze and the will to work hard. Being able to think analytically, having a problem-solving approach, being calm, challenging and patient, inquisitive and careful are the general characteristics that can be sought in individuals who want to be successful in this field.
The law department is one of the advantageous departments because it has a wide range of professions. It means a chance to have both a good knowledge and a broad horizon as required by the courses taught for the students who study lawfully.
Of course, the disadvantages and difficulties of a department with such high advantages and the professions that are owned afterwards also take up a lot of space. Students who graduate from this department, where competition and updating are very high, should be individuals who are resistant to free market conditions and constantly improve themselves.
Is the Law Department Right for Me?
Since the Faculty of Law is a verbal-oriented department, it is an advantageous department for people with strong reading, interpretation and memorization skills. Of course, the ability to memorize is not at the forefront of reading, interpretation and analysis skills, contrary to what is known. Apart from this, he must have an idealistic and sensitive personality for justice. Since legal systems are constantly changing and developing, students should be in a structure that follows current developments. A student who wants to study in this department, where patience, work and a sense of justice are at the forefront, can understand whether law school is suitable for him by asking these questions. Love to work, read and write is one of the important characteristics. In addition, it is necessary to adapt to the love of justice and competitive business life. In other words, although it is a very popular and preferred department, there are many features that people who want to study law must meet. For those who meet these qualifications, law will promise a great career.
Study Law in USA
The adventure of a legal career in the USA is somewhat different and longer than in the rest of the world. After high school education in Europe, law education, which is offered as a bachelor's degree program at universities, can be taken. Upon graduation, an LL.B. degree is earned and you can start your career with it. In order to study a law program in the USA, it is necessary to first have an undergraduate degree and then prepare for the LSAT exams and be accepted into JD programs. In fact, it can be said that law school in the USA is like a graduate program. After completing the JD program, you can become a lawyer by taking the bar exams of the state you want to work in.
For international students who have graduated from law school in their home country, to become a lawyer in the USA, JD is an option but not a requirement. LLM is a more viable option.
The education curriculum also differs according to other countries, and training is given on the "Common Law" system, which is called English Common Law in the United States, and which is the legal system used by the United Kingdom and its colonial countries.
Advantages of Studying Law in USA
In the USA, legal education is seen as a vocational education. For this reason, those who deserve this education start their professional life with many advantages. Since most of the professors are professionals, they focus on practical knowledge and work to increase their students' chances of success in the market. Since there is a constant competition for rankings between schools, schools and academic staff have to constantly improve themselves in free market competition.
Another important issue that is curious about is working while continuing school life. As far as these student visas are possible, they require serious study discipline. Students who study law in the United States spend a significant part of a week either in class or in the library, as they have to do their reading homework every week. Therefore, the remaining time to work is often limited. It is generally possible to increase enough time for those who use their time effectively and plan to work. There is no obstacle to the employment of those who hold a student visa.
How Long Does It Take to Study Law in the USA?
Legal education in the United States consists of 3 years, 6 semesters. As a result of this training period, a Juris Doctor (JR) diploma is received. While studying law in the USA, it should be known that although it varies according to the countries, there may be diploma equivalence problems. Since American Law will be studied during this training, it will be much more possible to continue studying in the USA. In other words, graduate and doctoral education will become much more possible. Law education in America is almost as difficult as getting a medical education. However, fulfilling the requirements for applying and obtaining high grades in the field tests will put students ahead. After receiving this education, the returns to the students are quite high.
The Best Universities to Study Law in USA
What the world's most famous names like Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Benazir Bhutto and Mahatma Gandhi have in common is to study in law school. Many universities around the world provide law degrees. It is possible to find the best law schools in the world for students who are considering studying law in the USA.
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Harvard University
Did you know that Michelle and Barack Obama are graduates of Harvard Law School? Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest in the United States and one of the most prestigious law schools in the world. Proud to offer small classes and the largest legal clinics, Harvard Law School students are encouraged to apply classroom theory in professional legal settings. Considering that a Harvard-educated corporate lawyer today earns a $130,000 salary, it's not surprising that many students choose Harvard University to study law each year, despite tough entry requirements.
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Yale University
Yale University, one of the most respected and best law schools in America, is renowned for its teaching quality. Since its founding in 1824, Yale Law School has had a rich alumni list of politicians, writers, and lawyers, including Hillary and Bill Clinton, and Gerald Ford. Students who want to study law at Yale face a rigorous and selective admissions process, with less than 10% of applicants accepted each year.
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Stanford University
While Stanford University ranks fifth in the QS rankings, Times Higher Education has ranked it first among the top law universities. Stanford's law school was established in 1893, a private research university based in California. The school, which accepts more than 4,000 applications each year for law education, has only 180 students.
Law Admission Requirement in USA
Due to the autonomous structures of universities in the United States, each university may have its own application requirements to study law in the United States. For this reason, it is necessary to look at the special admission requirements of the universities to which you want to apply. Universities offering law education in the USA require the following documents and exams as standard admission requirements;
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Certificate of license: Graduation average is extremely decisive. For this reason, undergraduate students with higher averages are more likely to be accepted into the program.
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LSAT: The LSAT exam, which is mandatory for all student candidates who have completed their undergraduate degrees, consists of 3 parts in total. Universities with high academic rankings generally prefer students who have achieved a high score the first time. The validity period of the exam is approximately 5 years, and students have the right to take the LSAT for a maximum of 7 times in their entire life, with a maximum of 3 times in 1 year or maximum 5 times in 5 years.
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Language Level: TOEFL or equivalent language proficiency exams required from international students are one of the application requirements required by all law faculties. International students are expected to have highly competent language skills for education on law, whose professional terminology is heavier than other occupational groups. Although the language proficiency requirement of each university differs, at least 100 points from the 120-point TOEFL system are requested by many universities.