lawyer

Earn a law degree. To become an attorney in the United States it is a requirement that one receive a law degree, called a Juris Doctor. You do not have to take the bar exam in the same state that you attend law school. The Juris Doctor is received after the undergraduate degree and is typically a three-year course of study. Law schools in the United States are accredited by the American Bar Association.

There are several joint-degree programs that allow for greater specialization, such as the J.D./Masters of Science in Cultural Foundations of Education with an optional Certificate in Disability Studies offered by Syracuse University in New York and a J.D./Ph.D. in Education Law with an optional emphasis in Special Education at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. These are not prerequisites to the practice of special education law, however.

Take and pass the bar exam of the state that you want to practice in. A bar exam is a two or three-day test that ascertains the taker's mastery of state law, and larger legal principles. Being admitted to practice law in most states is contingent on both passing the bar exam, passing a background check, and passing the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam.