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Why do it take so long?
Why do it take some lawyers longer to become lawyers or criminal defense lawyers
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Chris’s Answer
The educational training is pretty standard (J.D. is three years and requires an undergraduate degree of some kind). Attorneys gain expertise in a particular field of law by practicing in that field. Some may later gain experience in other fields and "switch" to a new specialty. Criminal law could be something you enter right after graduation (e.g., a job with the public defender's office or district attorney's office or even with a firm that has a criminal law practice). Others may begin the practice of law in some other field and go into criminal law later (though I think criminal law is such a different area than other fields, I think this is less common).
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Roger’s Answer
Like you've seen in other answers, typically, you're looking at 7 years after high school before you have your law degree (Juris Doctor), which enables you to take the bar exam, which you must pass to be licensed to practice law in your state. Bar prep - studying for the bar exam - is a full-time 2-3 month endeavor after law school. Bar exams are given in each state in February and July, so if you graduate in May, and really work at bar prep, you can sit for the July exam. Your state bar also requires a character and fitness review of you before they will admit you to practice. I've had a top secret military clearance, and I can tell you that the background investigation I went through for the Florida bar was almost as thorough as what the US government did for my military clearance! Typically, you should start completing the background forms and questionnaires, gathering documentation after your second (2L) year, so the bar can be working on that investigation during your third year of law school. If that all goes through, by the time you get your results from the bar exam (around Labor Day for the July cycle), you'll be ready to take your oath (from whom varies by state, but usually a judge) and be admitted to practice.
As to criminal law, a good path is to start looking for summer internships with a state or county prosecutor, DA, or public defender's office. I would start reaching out the second semester of your 1L year for that summer. If you do get a first summer internship, hopefully you'll be able to return for your second summer. Don't sweat it if you don't get one after your 1L year! Criminal law classes (criminal procedure) and any litigation electives are second year classes, so you'd likely be competing against students who have already taken them, but give it a try!
Once you're in practice for one of the above, or a criminal defense firm, you'll be working for a year or so before you start handling cases on your own. It's just a process of learning and gaining experience, and about your third-fifth year, you'll know if you want to keep doing crim, and which side (prosecution or defense) you prefer and can make career moves as you see fit.
Hopefully, I've answered your question why it takes years to do it. Good Luck!
As to criminal law, a good path is to start looking for summer internships with a state or county prosecutor, DA, or public defender's office. I would start reaching out the second semester of your 1L year for that summer. If you do get a first summer internship, hopefully you'll be able to return for your second summer. Don't sweat it if you don't get one after your 1L year! Criminal law classes (criminal procedure) and any litigation electives are second year classes, so you'd likely be competing against students who have already taken them, but give it a try!
Once you're in practice for one of the above, or a criminal defense firm, you'll be working for a year or so before you start handling cases on your own. It's just a process of learning and gaining experience, and about your third-fifth year, you'll know if you want to keep doing crim, and which side (prosecution or defense) you prefer and can make career moves as you see fit.
Hopefully, I've answered your question why it takes years to do it. Good Luck!