5 Mistakes that Keep You from Becoming a Criminal Attorney

Going to law school to become a criminal attorney is desired by many but harder to achieve than it may appear. It takes years of dedication and determination before anyone is even allowed into graduate school. These professionals must be good writers, very intelligent, have stellar skills in logic, analysis, and reading. Many people would love to become a lawyer because it's a fascinating job with a high salary. Only the best and the brightest actually emerge into the job world with a diploma allowing them to practice as a criminal attorney or any other type of lawyer. Many mistakes are made that cause the dream of becoming an attorney to disappear.

Here are 5 errors that keep a person from achieving the title of "lawyer."

1) Bad grades in college: Many individuals arrive at college with the best of intentions. Perhaps they were pretty good students in high school while living at home with Mom and Dad. But suddenly they achieve "adult" status by living in their own dormitory room or apartment and the rules fly out the window. Without parental supervision, they may have a hard time saying "no" to keg parties or road trips to Mexico. Before they know it, their grades may be in the trash receptacle. Cumulative GPAs must be kept up because this is what the grad programs look at. Even a few classes with poor marks will result in a lower grade point average.

2) No experience: Some students study hard and keep their grades up but they never work a day in their life in the legal arena. They don’t even join the debate team. Nope, they study hard but spend the rest of their waking hours playing video games or reading romance novels. This will not look good on their entrance paperwork. Law schools want to see some background and experience to show that the candidate is interested and motivated.

3) Didn't study for LSAT: The score received on the LSAT (Law School Admittance Test) is very important. This examination includes segments on logic, analytic reasoning and reading comprehension. All of these cognitive areas are abilities that an attorney must be adept at. Average scores are around 150 but in order to get into the best schools such as Harvard or Yale, the number must be even higher.

4) Poor writing skills on personal essay: A lawyer must be a good orator and writer to win cases. The content of the entrance essay must demonstrate a candidate's finesse or he or she won't be admitted. Organization and language skills must be topnotch.

5) Poor spelling: Some people can spell better than others, but in order to be a well respected professional, a person must be able to spell. It would be wise to hone these skills. Grammar counts, too.

Individuals that dream of a career as a criminal attorney can make it happen if they don't make mistakes. Perseverance, dedication and lots of studying will make the dream of a law degree come true.