Next step is to call the lawyer on the phone and ask if he or she charges a fee for the first consultation. Do not forget to ask how much if he or she charges a fee. If you choose to hire the lawyer for legal services it would be advisable to get an estimate of the cost of his or her services. Fees and costs vary according to lawyer, case, and the type of services provided. Be prepared to ask questions regarding the facts of the legal problem. Some questions to ask at the attorney are as follows?
Do I have a legal problem?

This may seem like an obvious question but it is worth covering because it determines whether or not you are wasting your own time. You must fully explain the situation first and then ask the lawyer about the problem. Be as factual without exaggeration why you believe that there is a legal course of action. Do not try to convince the lawyer, it is his or her decision to decide if you have a case or not. If you know the position of the legal adversary in the problem it would be advisable to mention this to the lawyer.

Are you the Lawyer that could help me? Have you handled matter like this before? If not, can you refer me to someone that can?

Asking an attorney these simple questions could save time and effort. This could also simplify the process of finding a lawyer. Experience is important in choosing a the right lawyer for the job.

How much will this cost?

Before agreeing to have the attorney represent you, it would be important to ask the lawyer to explain how fees and costs are assessed in writing.

How long will it take to solve my legal problem?

A lawyer with experience in similar cases to yours may give an estimated time frame in which he or she could solve your legal problems.

What results could be expected?
Ask the lawyer to give an explanation of the law as the law relates to your case. Make sure that you understand the expectations of both the lawyer and you as both could be different.

Laws shape a society but laws can also change according to the needs of a society. Laws are supposed to be statements of fairness and justice within a society. The bad will be punished and the good will be rewarded or left alone by the state. However laws do not always reflect this ideal. Therefore, necessitating the need for a law to be abolished or amended, thus laws are flexible. A good example of the flexibility of law is the act the of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the nonviolent intentional breaking of a law in protest of the injustice of the law.

Laws are language and language has many limitations in depth of meaning and determining the intent behind the law. Laws are never accidental; however, the language of the law is sometimes unclear and needs clarification. That is the duty of a judge in a court of law. Judges must interpret the law according to their understanding of the language and the intent of the men and women who wrote the law. In addition to understanding the law itself, a judge must also understand circumstances and issues that surround one’s breaking of the law. Judges are ethical philosophers of justice and the rule of law. Lawyers serve a similar purpose in interpreting the law. They are learned in the nature of law and use that knowledge to convince the judge of their interpretation of the law or the circumstances surrounding a given case.

There are three systems of law by which law is organized and interpreted by lawyers and judges: the Civil Law (or Roman Code), Common Law, and Religious law.

Civil Law

Is the dominant system of law in the world. It has its origin in ancient Rome. Laws function in a positive manner. Meaning that the grammar of the language itself is put in the positive. A person is free to do anything explicitly said in the law, anything pertaining to the law that is opposite is prohibited. There is no such thing as case law based on judicial decisions. The system of law is judge oriented. Judges are given the most power in the interpretation of the law. Judges are not independent of politics. In criminal matters, the presumption of the defendant’s culpability of the crime is guilty until proven innocent. France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and all Latin American countries follow this law.

Common Law

Common Law is a tradition of law that originates in England. Most power is placed in an experienced lawyer. There are catalogs of judges’ decisions in previous cases that have the force of law in similar cases that will arise in the future. Judicial branch is independent from politics. In criminal matters, a alleged criminal is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The United States (except Louisiana), Canada (except Quebec), Australia, and the United Kingdom (except Scotland) all follow this system of law.

Religious Law

The common system of law in the Islamic world. Its laws are informed by religious documents and case law. Lawyers play a secondary role and judges receiving religious as well as legal training. The presumption of guilt varies on the criminal act. Judges can be both dependent or independent of politics. This system of law is followed in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Gambia, Iran, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, and Yemen.

Attorneys swear oaths to protect the interests of their clients within the confines of the law. They have a special privileged relationship with their clients that is strictly confidential. It is not legal to disclose what is said between an attorney and his client. For example, neither the prosecutor, nor the judge can reveal anything that may have been overheard between the client and the defense attorney. This ensures the fairness of any court proceeding, and uphold the defendant’s right to abstain from incriminating oneself. Confessions under duress are not admissible in a court of law. Therefore, the relationship between an attorney and a client is of a privileged nature. Attorneys swear oaths to protect the interests of their clients regardless of the attorneys feelings as to the guilt of the person they are representing. The law sees fairness as a priority but finding a good attorney would give clients a better advantage in solving their legal concern.

Experienced attorneys have knowledge of the laws and case law surrounding whatever legal concern. Finding an experienced attorney may be difficult; however, there are many ways to find an attorney to suit a legal need. The first step in finding an attorney is determining what aspect of law concerns the circumstances of a given case. If the legal matter concerns the defense of a crime that someone allegedly committed, then finding a criminal defense attorney is what is necessary to complete the first step. If someone is thinking of opening a small business, then it would be advisable to find a business attorney, and so on and so forth. The scope of the law is too broad for one attorney to be able to cover all aspects of law. There are laws that cover all aspects of human interaction.

Second step is to pick up a phone book or log onto the Internet and find an attorney that specializes in the area of concern. Phone books are an excellent way to start, just search under the type of lawyer or attorney one may need. There are many excellent websites that function like search engines but are exclusively for finding attorneys. One would have to provide their zip code and then a page with local lawyers of many different specialties would appear. Click the link and contact the lawyer. Make sure the lawyer is someone that is trustworthy. Expensive lawyers are not always the best so trust is something that is sometimes more important than a high price tag of legal services.

Finding a lawyer is easier than ever with the Internet but sorting through all the lawyers can be a time consuming task. Use good judgment and the law would work in your best interests.

In addition to assessing the type of undergraduate or post graduate studies one had studied before applying to law school, law schools assess the quality of the academic performance of the prospective law student. Laws schools understand that grade point average may not be an accurate determinant of one’s intelligence and abilities; therefore, laws schools assess a prospective students using a combination of a variety of academic assessments. The Law School Admissions Test or LSAT is required for application to all law schools.

The LSAT is a standardized test designed to assess the taker’s ability to read, comprehend, interpret, and analyze a piece of written language. The test also features an essay section based on a written passage. Questions on the law school admissions test mainly do not regard the content of a small written passage but asks the taker to answer a question regarding the construction of the argument discussed in a written passage. A strong knowledge of grammar, logic, and rhetoric is highly recommended. There are LSAT preparation courses that one could take to prepare for the test. Preparing for the test is important to improving the score. Practice tests may also be taken. Practice tests can be found on the Internet. The test may be taken multiple times but if taken more than once, the test scores are then averaged. The LSAT is something that law schools consider very important but all aspects of law school admissions requirements are taken into consideration. Different Law schools place different emphases on different legs of the admissions process.

Law schools want to get to know their prospective students as human beings, not simply students. Many law schools require personal essays discussing important factors to consider about the quality of the candidates character. Not all of the descriptions of the law school candidate’s character are described by the candidate himself or herself. Many also laws schools also require at least two letters of recommendation from two different people with whom that candidate holds a close professional relationship. Most often candidates choose their university’s pre-law advisor and departmental dean as the person to write their letters of recommendation. However, local community leaders with whom the candidate has a relationship of a professional nature have been used. The law school wants to get an understanding of the qualities of character and work ethic the prospective student has.

Another important factor to consider is what does the prospective law student want out of a law school education. Many law schools are famous for the type of lawyer they produce. A law school with a good reputation could get the eventual law school graduate into high ranking positions at top law firms or even legal positions in the public and private sector. Law schools can offer a variety of different practical experience depending on the quality of the professors and the facilities. Many law schools feature mock court rooms that are meant to prepare future lawyers for the stressful environment of a high stakes court case. Some law schools have better business law programs, others produce excellent trial lawyers, etc. It is of critical importance to choose a law school that interests the prospective student. Law students may prefer an urban campus to a rural campus or vice versa. Some schools offer more financial aid than others. Some schools are private law schools and others are partially funded by state and local governments. Some students choose to travel across the country to go to law school. Others choose to find a school nearby for family and job obligations. The size, composition, and background of the student body is also important to consider. Adjusting to the competitive nature of professional school is hard enough without the difficulty of overcoming culture shock. Law students choose their schools for a variety of reasons. Remember, estimations of quality and prestige are subjective. It is therefore important to choose a school that fits one’s lifestyle and needs.

Historically, minority groups of all types were underrepresented in law schools and thus, the legal profession. Many law schools hold diversity of the student body as a key factor in the quality of the educational experience they provide. Many schools are therefore making diversity a priority through diversity initiatives. To promote diversity, many law schools are actively seeking qualified African American, Latino, Native American and Asian students. Diversity initiatives cover all minority groups, not just minority groups based on race. Diversity initiatives apply to women and the lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender communities as well. Minority Lawyers can effect change on individual level, representing the interests of clients, and even effect change at the global level. More opportunities for minority law school students are available than in previous decades. Increases of minority students have been achieved but more can be done. Thus opportunity for minority students is better than ever before. Law schools make decisions regarding minority rights in the name of fairness and is not meant to disadvantage any particular group of individuals.

Be realistic in choosing the law school to which one applies. It is okay to dream a little but be realistic at the same time. If a school rejects a student, the student may try again or try another school. Many students have no trouble choosing their law school, they choose a dream school that almost beyond their grasp or a safe school to which admission is almost definite. Most schools publish an admissions qualification grid that indicates the number of applicants, their average LSAT scores and grade point averages. These charts will help prospective law students decipher which schools are dream schools and which are safe schools. Qualification grids are not the only yard stick by which students are measured and they may not predetermine a student’s admission to law school. The admissions grids feature information that is from a previous year so they do not take into account fluctuations of the three major factors of applicant volume, grade point average and LSAT scores.

Financial aid is another important consideration. Laws schools generally have an expensive price tag but there is often money available to help lower the up-front costs of going to law school. Scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans are available to law school students too. Most law school students finance their educations through loans either from the federal government or private banks. Often students take loans from both. Changes in financial aid rules and regulations are constantly changing. Eligibility policies depend on the law school to which the prospective student applies. It is best that the student stays current on the changes of rules and regulations of their respective law schools.

Getting into law school is an achievement and is the fruition of years of hard work and sacrifice. Students should choose their school wisely. Law schools reward those who show excellence and offer many opportunities for success for the duration of their legal careers. Law school lasts three years and prepares students for the challenges of the legal profession after the graduate passes the bar exam.