Every country has specific rules and guidelines for applicants to their respective bar licensing authorities. The purpose of this article is to highlight three main differences between becoming a lawyer in the United States and becoming a lawyer in Brazil.
Initially, the main difference is the length of study. In Brazil you can immediately start law school after finishing high school and the requirements may be met within five years. Conversely, obtaining a law degree in the U.S. takes longer, as American candidates must generally possess four years in college degree to qualify. Therefore, in the United States, a student who wants to pursue a legal career will need to study for seven years in total, at minimum.
The second major difference between the jurisdictions is the cost of study. Pursuing a law degree in the United States is more expensive than becoming a lawyer in Brazil. In Brazil there are many public law schools, often requiring little to no tuition, so you can earn a Brazilian law degree without having to pay tuition fees. Furthermore, in Brazil, tuition fees at private law schools vary between R$350 and R$7,596 per month. By contrast, in the United States, in addition to not having public law schools without having to pay tuition fees, the average cost of studying at a public law school in the United States is $30,554 per year while the average cost of studying at a private law school in the United States is $55,963 per year, but before that, as explained above, the American student will have to study at a regular college four years to qualify, which is why they will also have to pay the costs of that college, which exorbitantly increased the cost for him to become a lawyer compared to Brazil.
Then, there is the matter of practical licensing costs. In Brazil it is necessary to pass the Brazilian bar exam only once, the cost for this is currently R$320, and once passed, you will be able to practice as a lawyer throughout the country. On the other hand, in the United States it is necessary to pass the American bar exam in each state in which you wish to practice, and the costs vary according to the state in which you want to work, the registration costs and other details you can find out on the website.
Finally, Brazilian lawyers can become an American lawyer and the other way around. To Brazilian lawyers do this in U.S., you have three options: after taking your diploma evaluation, if you meet the requirements, you can take the bar exam directly, in a state that allows it, such as California, or you would need to study the LLM (Master of Laws) for a year on average or to study JD (Juris Doctor) for three years on average and then pass the bar exam in the state where you would want to practice. To American lawyers and foreign lawyers become a Brazilian lawyer, they can register with the Brazilian bar exam and, after revalidating their diploma and after pass in the bar exam, they have access to practice the profession in Brazil. In both countries, accredited lawyers must pay an annual fee, the value of which varies from state to state.
In conclusion, after reading this article, what do you think about this? For me, it is more difficult to become an American lawyer than a Brazilian lawyer, but neither path is impossible, you just need to believe in yourself.
