Often referred to as a trial lawyer, a personal injury lawyer represents people who claim to have been injured, physically or emotionally, due to the negligence of a company, government agency, business, institution, or other person. Personal injury lawyers tend to be experts in an area called tort law that includes civil wrongs, vehicle collisions, medical errors, work injuries, assaults, defective products, slip and fall accidents, and much more. Damages sought usually involve financial compensation for harm to a person's health and well being, property, or reputation.
In order to practice law in the United States, a personal injury lawyer must pass a written bar examination. Most states require applicants to have completed a four-year college degree and a law degree from an accredited law school. It is valuable to obtain a bachelor's degree in an area of study that requires a lot of writing, researching, and reading. Good choices include a bachelor's degree in political science, history, English, or economics. It would also be helpful to take electives that relate to personal injury and the law.
To gain an even greater competitive edge over other law school applicants, one may want to take a Bachelor of Science Degree in Personal Injury. This degree provides basic skills such as communication skills and critical thinking. You will develop other important skills that include research, litigation preparation, analyzing medical reports, brief preparation, case law analysis, and damage presentation. You will also learn how to assess product liability and insurance claims. Areas of study include liability limitation, motor vehicle insurance claims investigation, pre-litigation protocols, instructing expert witnesses, tactics and negotiations, technical competencies in insurance law, product liability, medical records summation and review, and medical malpractice litigation.
Many universities offer master's level degree courses and confer advanced degrees with concentrations in personal injury. It is important to be aware that the first half of a three year law school concentrates on general law areas such as contracts, torts, property law, and constitutional law.
All states require a personal injury lawyer to take the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), and a state bar exam.
Personal injury lawyers focus their practices on personal injury cases. To help personal injury lawyers stay up-to-date on legal issues, they must complete a required number of continuing legal education (CLE) courses. To be certified as a specialist in personal injury, a lawyer must complete a specialty certification program accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
Lawyers who have completed a specialty certification program in personal injury are recognized as personal injury specialists.
There are a number of steps one can take before attending law school, during law school and after graduation in order to specialize in personal injury law:
- Research law schools to make sure that the American Bar Association has given the schools accreditation.
- While attending law school, acquire a clerk position at a law firm specializing in personal injury. Study personal injury cases that come into the firm. Develop relationships with personal injury lawyers that work at the firm. Learn about all of the types of injuries that can cause various types of medical conditions.
- When you have graduated and employed at a law firm, develop a good relationship with experienced and respected doctors so you have a list of quality medical expert witnesses.
Personal injury is one of the most profitable areas of the law. Since getting into law school can be very competitive, it is important to obtain the best education. Do your research to find the best bachelor's degree that will make you stand out from other applicants.
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