San Jose Attorneys are lawyers who are barred in the State of California and practice law in the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. San Jose is the third largest city in California and the tenth largest city in the United States. In order to be a San Jose attorney an individual must be in good standing with the California Bar Association, uphold the ethical and professional standards of the Rules of Professional Responsibility, have little, to no, adverse disciplinary action taken against them be admitted to practice in the San Jose and Santa Clara courts.
There is no San Jose Bar Association. San Jose attorneys should become members of the Santa Clara Bar Association. The Santa Clara Bar Association can be found at www.sccca.org and helps both the public and lawyers with legal matters having to do with a San Jose attorneys practice, ethical questions, etc. Individuals in San Jose can also take advantage of the Silicon Valley Bar Association at 650-325-7808 for help with estate planning, Intellectual Property, Family law, Tax, and Business.
How to become a San Jose Attorney
In order to practice law within the city and county of San Jose an individual who wishes to become a San Jose Attorney must meet the educational, as well as ethical requirements of the California Bar Association. First, and foremost, an individual must be a graduate, with at least a bachelor’s degree, from an accredited college or university. In addition the San Jose Attorney applicant must have graduated from a 3 year law school program that is approved by the American Bar Association. There are alternatives to graduating from law school and these matters should be discussed with the American Bar Association or the California Bar Association.
A San Jose Attorney must take, and pass, the California Bar Exam. The California Bar Exam,often considered the hardest in the country, is a 3 day exam that is administered twice a year, once in February and again in July. Day one and three of the California Bar Exam consist of two morning sessions with 3 essay questions and an afternoon session consisting of performance tests. All questions on the first and third day are based on the substantive and procedural laws of California. The second day is the Multi-State Bar Exam which is a 200 question multiple choice exam that is administered on a national scale by the National Board of Bar Examiners that tests on the general laws in evidence, criminal law, torts, contracts and constitutional law. The exam is graded by weighing the first and third day as 65% of the overall score with the MBE comprising 35%. The passing rate for the July exam is roughly 57% with the February exam at 38%.
In addition an individual who wishes to become a San Jose attorney must also take and pass the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam with the 86, the highest requirement in the country. The San Jose attorney applicant must also complete a character and fitness application that includes information about previous employers, education, addresses, criminal history, etc., in order to gauge whether the applicant for San Jose Attorney meets the high standards of a San Jose attorney.
Santa Clara Courthouse
San Jose attorneys represent their clients in litigation in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara. The Superior Court is the trial court for the county of Santa Clara and all cases, both civil and criminal, go through the Superior Court. There are a number for the superior courts for Santa Clara County. Some of the most important are:
The Downtown Courthouse hears all civil cases, probate and small claims. It is located at:
191 N. First St.
San Jose, CA 95113
The Hall of Justice hears all criminal cases, dependency and drug treatment. The Hall of Justice court is located at:
190 West Hedding St.
San Jose, CA 95110
The Family Courthouse is located at:
170 Park Ave.
San Jose, CA 95113
The Santa Clara Traffic Courthouse is located at:
1095 Homestead
Santa Clara, CA 95056
Finding a San Jose attorney
If you are trying to find a San Jose attorney you can begin your search by asking other people including your friends, family and co-workers who you know have used legal representation through San Jose attorneys in the past. You can also find San Jose attorneys through an internet search. Almost all San Jose attorneys maintain websites that can inform you of the attorneys education, experience, specialization and any victories that that San Jose attorney may have accomplished. Although this is a good resource these websites are used to promote the San Jose attorney and the positive information should not be taken at its word.
You can take advantage of the Santa Clara Bar Association’s referral source at www.sccba.org or by calling 408-971-6822. By answering some basic questions including your contact information, and a brief description of your legal problem a representative will put you in touch with a San Jose attorney who can help you with your legal issue. The service will charge you $41 for an initial 30 minute consultation with a San Jose attorney. The referral service has access to San Jose attorneys who practice in numerous areas of law. After the initial consultation it is up to you and your San Jose attorney to make arrangements for future representation. You are under no obligation to take on the services of the San Jose Attorney who is appointed to you through the referral service and the San Jose attorney is under no obligation to represent you. However, any conversation you have with that San Jose attorney, whether there is future representation or not.
If you cannot afford a San Jose attorney then you may be able to qualify for free legal aid. If you cannot afford a San Jose attorney or your matter is a workers compensation action you should call 408-971-6822 to discuss your problem with a representative and determine whether you qualify for free legal services through the Santa Clara County Bar Association.
