How long does it take to become an Associate Attorney?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become an associate attorney. That is the time it takes to learn specific associate attorney skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a doctorate degree, then it takes 13 to 15 years years to become an associate attorney.

There are certain skills that you need to obtain in order to become a successful associate attorney. Some of the most common skills are listed below. Along with each skill, we provide an actual example of how someone included the skill on their resume:

1. Discovery Responses -- Drafted and reviewed personal injury complaints, drafted and reviewed interrogatories and requests for production of documents, reviewed discovery responses.

2. Law Firm -- Managed residential and commercial bankruptcy caseload for this boutique commercial law firm; Collaborated on complex corporate and commercial transactions.

3. Legal Advice -- Conducted interviews to elicit relevant facts, carefully listening to individuals to identify and understand relevant facts and legal issues.

4. Pre-Trial Motions -- Prepare and file motions, briefs, pleadings, and discovery requests/responses for judicial and administrative proceedings.

5. Federal Courts -- Represented natural gas company in federal court litigation regarding the enforcement of pipeline easements during construction of natural gas pipeline.

Common Educational Background For An Associate Attorney

The education needed to be an Associate Attorney is normally a Doctoral Degree. Associate Attorneys usually study Law, Political Science or Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies. 57.0% of Associate Attorneys hold a Doctoral Degree and 38.0% hold a Bachelor's Degree. We found these by analyzing 25599 Associate Attorney resumes to investigate the topic of Associate Attorney education more precisely.

The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming an Associate Attorney are New York Law School and University of Florida. We also broke down what colleges provide the best overall education for an Associate Attorney. Students have a great path to earning their Associate Attorney qualifications at the following schools:

1. Stanford University
2. Harvard University
3. Duke University

If you're interested in getting a college degree in an affordable college for Associate Attorneys - Brigham Young University is an excellent option for you. If your SAT or ACT score aren't as high as you'd like, you can look at University of Southern Maine, as the admission requirements aren't too selective. On the other end of that spectrum are the Stanford University, Northwestern University and Vanderbilt University.

For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in Associate Attorney education paths.

Common Certifications For An Associate Attorney

The Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS) certification is most common among Associate Attorneys. This certification is awarded by the IIEI Certification. To become a certified Associate Attorney with Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS), You don't need to pass the exam. Lucky you - certification doesn't require more than two years of work experience. No renewal for certification, if you earn it once it is valid all time.