Minnesota Lawyer - The Process of Becoming a Minnesota Attorney

Want to become a Minnesota lawyer? Here are a few considerations and tips to guide you in evaluating your career path.

Minnesota Lawyer Admissions Process

The process for becoming an attorney in Minnesota involves the following:

1. Graduate high school
2. Graduate from a four-year regionally accredited college
3. Take the LSAT (law school admission test)
4. Graduate from an ABA approved law school
5. Pass the Minnesota bar exam
6. Wait for the Minnesota Supreme Court to admit you into the Minnesota state bar
7. Find a job as an attorney or find clients to start practicing as a solo attorney

Minnesota Attorney Jobs

Minnesota has four law schools, which are all located in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area. Most attorneys in Minnesota agree that there are too many attorneys in the Twin Cities compared to the amount of legal work needed, which has made finding lawyer jobs very difficult for recently graduated law students.

Minnesota Lawyer Salaries

Are you thinking about becoming a Minnesota lawyer? If so, don't do it for the money. Unlike television, new attorneys are paid between $35,000 and $45,000 a year in Minneapolis, unless the attorney is one of the few hired at a large law firm (which generally requires grades in the top of the law school class, often from a prestigious law school). New Minnesota attorney salaries are similar across the United States.

Minnesota Lawyer Told that Law School Loans Are Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy

One Minnesota attorney made news headlines recently for filing for bankruptcy and arguing that his law school debts should be dischargeable because he couldn't possibly repay them. However, the courts held firm on the rule that student loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. (Source: Minnesota Bankruptcy Lawyer). The low starting salary for new attorneys suggests that people considering law school should consider well whether they should incur $100,000 or more in student loans to attend law school.