Whether you’re recently out of law school or are just looking for a new place to take your law career, medical malpractice law may be the right choice for you. With medical malpractice being the third leading cause of death in the country, it’s definitely a career field in demand. Let’s take a look at how you can work to get involved in this field of law to start a new chapter in your career.
Know Your Career Prospects
Medical malpractice is a unique area of law where you’ll be working with clients who were injured due to a doctor’s neglect. You can expect to work in an office setting and keep relatively normal hours. In some cases, you may opt for working for insurance companies or private firms instead of individual persons. The usual salary for this type of lawyer is around $145,000 a year.
You First Need A Bachelor’s Degree
Before you can even think about entering law school, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree. There is no requirement in what the main field of study must be. Most lawyers opt for degrees in English, history, or political science. Once you earn your bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to take the LSAT. This is the law school admission test that you’ll need to get a high score on to be accepted into any medical malpractice law program.
Attend Law School and Pass the Bar
Once you get accepted into a law school, you’ll need to complete three years of education to get your J.D. degree. This is your Juris Doctor degree that shows your competency in the legal realm. During your time at law school, you’ll want to take health law courses as well to get more acquainted with medical malpractice. Once you graduate law school with your J.D. degree, you’ll need to take the bar exam. This allows you to obtain a physical license to practice law in your state.
Consider Joining A Medical Malpractice Firm
After you pass the bar exam, you can legally practice medical malpractice law. However, it’s a good idea to consider taking up a job with a firm that specializes in medical malpractice law. This can give you a jumpstart of actually applying your education and learning how these cases are typically handled.
Getting involved with medical malpractice law is a long process. It’s best to ensure that you’re fully committed to practicing this field of law as it require a large investment of time and money. Once you enter this field, you will have a very high earning potential and the ability to fight for those who were injured as a result of a doctor’s neglect.