How do I Become a Business Litigation Lawyer?

To become a business litigation lawyer, you first must become an attorney according to the rules within your area. You then must specialize in business litigation. This means you must build up knowledge of business litigation and establish a client base.

The first step is becoming a lawyer in your area. Every state and every country has slightly different rules. For example, in the United States, you must attend law school to become a business litigation lawyer. To become a barrister or solicitor in England, you must take a legal practice course and/or obtain a degree in law or a graduate diploma in law.

Generally, if you want to become a business litigation lawyer, you should take certain classes while obtaining your education in law. In the United States, there is no specialization in business law or business litigation. A law degree is simply a law degree, you don't major in a field as you would in undergraduate school.

Although you can't graduate with a major in business litigation, you can take certain classes that will help your career. Business law classes are advisable so you can become familiar with commonly litigated issues in business. Taking courses in civil procedure and participating in moot court may also help you become a business litigation lawyer, since litigation lawyers are trial lawyers who spend much of their time in front of a jury or engaged in negotiations for lawsuit settlements.

Once you have graduated from law school, the next step to become a business litigation lawyer is to become admitted to practice law. In the United States, this is called taking the bar exam. In England, you join the roll instead of joining the bar.

Nearly every country offers some type of exam that lawyers or solicitors must take before they can join the bar, the roll or the equivalent. In the United States, the exam is state-specific, so you need to take it in the geographic area where you want to practice. This exam also does not test a specific type of legal knowledge, but tests your general knowledge of all aspects of the law.

After you have been admitted to practice law where you live, you need to begin specializing in business litigation. Most business litigation is handled by large law firms, so you will need to find a job as an associate in the firm. There, you will work under the partners, gaining practical experience in business litigation so you can begin to take on your own cases within the field.