How can I effectively learn the law without becoming a lawyer?

[Raze22]

(Texas)

Essentially, I find it crazy. That anything that involves going to a court room. People always say get a lawyer, but aren't everyday citizens. Suppose to know the law? If so, what is the best way for a person to learn their laws correctly? Including paper work and court procedures.

 

[CTU]

(Texas)

Essentially, I find it crazy. That anything that involves going to a court room. People always say get a lawyer, but aren't everyday citizens. Suppose to know the law? If so, what is the best way for a person to learn their laws correctly? Including paper work and court procedures.

You've been registered here since 2015 ... have you learned nothing at all?

Use your Google-fu. Go down to the court-house to see what actually happens inside. Find and read the local rules and the rules of civil procedure. Use Westlaw. Lexis. Google Scholar. Stuff like that. It's all out there, free, waiting to be discovered.

You're welcome.

 

[justalayman]

Becoming a lawyer isn't just "learning the law". It involves learning an understanding and application of
The law. It involves learning court procedures. It involves learning court rules.

It also involves learning proper strategy for presenting a case. It involves learning to respect the hierarchy and authority of the judicial system in place.

So, if you want to learn the law, you can attend law school. You don't have to take any bar exam.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

If you've ever seen the movie "Catch Me if you Can", you know that Frank Abignale passed the Louisiana Bar Exam without having attended law school. There's an article that discusses it on the "Above the Law" website.

It's been speculated that a reasonable intelligent person could learn enough from a bar exam prep class alone to pass the bar. You can probably pick up a slightly out of date version of the prep materials for some short money. That would be a start.

Paperwork and court procedures vary from court to court. You could start by reading the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Rules of Criminal Procedure for your jurisdiction

 

[Ohiogal]

If you've ever seen the movie "Catch Me if you Can", you know that Frank Abignale passed the Louisiana Bar Exam without having attended law school. There's an article that discusses it on the "Above the Law" website.

It's been speculated that a reasonable intelligent person could learn enough from a bar exam prep class alone to pass the bar. You can probably pick up a slightly out of date version of the prep materials for some short money. That would be a start.

Paperwork and court procedures vary from court to court. You could start by reading the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Rules of Criminal Procedure for your jurisdiction

Many states will NOT let anyone sit for the bar who has not graduated from an accredited law school.

 

[FlyingRon]

Many states will NOT let anyone sit for the bar who has not graduated from an accredited law school.

Actually, that's nearly all states. The only exceptions I am aware of is CALIFORNIA amd VIRGINIA. These two states will allow you to self-study under the supervision of an already of an admitted lawyer.

I can tell you the scope of the Virginia Law Reader Program is arduous enough that not many people avail themselves of this (though I don know at least one). You're still going to have to spend three or four years pretty much full time at it. You might as well go to your state law school.

CALIFORNIA allows correspondance law courses, but there are additional constraints for admission. California is the only state that allows this.

 

[LdiJ]

Many states will NOT let anyone sit for the bar who has not graduated from an accredited law school.

I researched it once and most of the few that will allow someone to take the bar without graduating from an accredited law school require that they have a period of apprenticeship under a licensed attorney. So in the few that do, someone could go to school to be a paralegal, and then apprentice under an attorney and eventually sit the bar. I though that the whole thing was very interesting.

 

[adjusterjack]

what is the best way for a person to learn their laws correctly? Including paper work and court procedures.

Other than going to law school, there is no best way but there are many good ways.

A good way is to take each situation as it comes and do your research for that particular situation.

Examples:

When I first got my driver's license I learned traffic laws.
When I became a landlord I learned landlord/tenant law.
When I got stiffed by a tenant I learned how to use small claims court.
When I bought and sold cars I learned registration and title laws.
When I got divorced I learned divorce law.
When I bought and sold homes I learned real estate and contract law.
When I went into the insurance business I learned insurance law.

Back in the days before the internet I had to spend time at the law library plus buy books and build a collection of reference material.

These days, it should be easy for you because there is a plethora of legal reference material on the internet instantly available with a key stroke.

How do you think any of us got to know all this stuff? LOL.

 

[FlyingRon]

There are a handful of states that permit taking some law classes and doing work/study under an admitted lawyer. They all require a bit more "studying" than just working for him in the office.

 

[not2cleverRed]

(Texas)

Essentially, I find it crazy. That anything that involves going to a court room. People always say get a lawyer, but aren't everyday citizens. Suppose to know the law? If so, what is the best way for a person to learn their laws correctly? Including paper work and court procedures.

Step one would be to become literate. Go to a community college and take some classes to enhance your reading skills (as well as writing).

Step two would be to learn the rules of Logic. This could be mathematical, philosophical, or even engineering. (The same logical rules used for circuits apply, for the most part, to sentential logic. However, you do not have to take an advanced course in logic. Nothing by Kurt Goedel will help you understand the law, although his Incompleteness Theorem is interesting, from a philosophical point of view.)

There is a rhyme or reason to how things are applied, legally. Developing a foundation will help you feel less lost, as well as help you more effectively communicate with your lawyer, should you find yourself in a position to need one.

 

[Ohiogal]

Law school does NOT teach you the law. It teaches you to think and examine and analyze like a lawyer. But it doesn't teach you LAW. You learn legal principles. Erie Doctrine. Parol Evidence Rule. Rule Against Perpetuities. Duty of Care. Standard of Care. First in Time. Intestacy and relationships. First cousin twice removed versus second cousin or what not. Transactional obligations. Mailbox rule. White Acre. Black Acre. Residency and how to determine it. I could continue. But for the most part it is not teaching you statutes. It is not teaching you what is written in code. You learn caselaw.
And the frustrating thing about caselaw -- this contract or will was overturned is the holding but you never see the contract or will.

 

[adjusterjack]

Law school does NOT teach you the law.

"You come in here with a skull full of mush and you leave thinking like a lawyer."
(Professor Kingsfield in The Paper Chase.)

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Many states will NOT let anyone sit for the bar who has not graduated from an accredited law school.

OP stated he (or she) wanted to learn the law without becoming a lawyer. A slightly out of date bar review course is probably the most inexpensive way to do so.

 

[Ohiogal]

OP stated he (or she) wanted to learn the law without becoming a lawyer. A slightly out of date bar review course is probably the most inexpensive way to do so.

Probably not. Because the bar is not necessarily about law but about thinking.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

There is a reason that every law office you walk into has a bunch of law books and a Lexis account and it isn't for looks. Nobody knows all the law it would be physically impossible. During the time it took to type this message some number of laws changed in the US either by legislative action, court rulings or regulatory action.

The knowledge of being a lawyer isn't about knowing all the laws it is about understanding the basic tenets of the law and how they apply, the process and knowing where to look for the specifics.