In order to understand the career of elder-law-attorney, it is particularly essential to understand what is meant by elder law. In the United States, the term elder law is used to denote to a practice of the law that mainly focused on the population that is aged or elderly. It is an area of the law that mainly focuses on all the issues that affect these people. Elder law is mainly made up of three categories, which include guardianship, Medicaid and estate planning. From this, it should be noted that elder law attorneys are professionals that are supposed to handle all the three categories of elder law.
So as for you to practice elder law, he has to have gone through some form of education, like any other lawyer. As is the case in all fields of the law, you will have to get a law degree before you start dreaming about practicing elder law. The law degree that you get should be from a school that is accredited by the ABA. If you get a degree from a school that is not accredited, it will not be recognized, and you won’t be able to practice law in the United States. It is extremely essential to note that in most cases, before you get to law school, you will be subjected to the Law School Admission Test or LSAT, which will determine whether you qualify to enter law school. It is also extremely vital to note that you need to have graduated from college before you go to law school.
Having passed your LSAT and law school, you will attain a bachelor of laws degree or a J.D Degree. Some of the courses in the degree include jurisprudence, philosophy and civil procedure among others. At this point, if you want to practice law in America, you’ll need to do the Bar Exams. It is essential to note that the bar exam should be taken in the State in which you intend to practice. This is because; passing the exam will allow you to practice in that particular State. After having passed the exam, you need to apply, for a license to practice in that State.
As far as the career of elder-law-attorney
is concerned, education alone and licensing alone are not enough. If you intend to practice this particular field of the law, you will have to get special certification from a body called the Board of Certification of the National Elder Law Foundation. It is essential to note that not everyone can qualify to award of this certification. The certification is only given to lawyers that have been in practice for a period of five years, and they should also have dedicated at least three years of their practice to elder law. In addition to the period of practice, you also need to have dedicated at least 45 hours of your time to legal education during this period. You also need to pass a test and are required to produce references from already existing elder law attorney.