If you can REALLY make the changeover to adulthood, then you have a good plan. That means doing the work, maintaining a good GPA in college and graduating with a Bachelor's degree. If you CANNOT do this, consider other options or you will just end up owing a fortune in student loans.
A good first step would be your finance degree. Once you have that, you can take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Most people get a degree in the area of law they wish to specialize in. Finance is a good area for a lot of reasons.
Depending upon your college GPA and LSAT scores, you can then make a decision if you want to continue pursuing your law degree, or just get a job in finance. You will go MUCH FARTHER with a law degree.
You can read more about the law school admissions process here: Checklist for the Law School Admission Process | LSAC.org
Not every attorney practices law by having a law practice and going to court. Many of the most successful attorneys RARELY see the inside of a court room. In the world of finance, you will be MUCH MORE VALUABLE to an employer if you have the law degree. It is a good way to work your way into top management.
Keep in mind, you must not only graduate from law school, but you also have to pass the state bar exam in order to become licensed to practice law. Beyond the test part of the exam, each bar association has certain standards you must meet to be considered a candidiate for a license. Generally, that means NOT having any type of a criminal record. Filing bankruptcy won't necessarily stop you from becoming a lawyer, but it should be avoided. Like it or not, lawyers are held to a higher standard than most professions. A clean record must also be maintained once you are practicing. If ONE PENNY of client money goes missing, or if they find you were somehow deficient in your representation of a client, your license to practice is HISTORY! There are several sites on the web that have information about this.
Don't let me scare you. It is not like they are trying to stop people with law degrees from practicing. They wouldn't disqualify you from becoming licensed for any little minor infractions you might have. But a history of problems could be an issue. Generally, they just want to make sure that your character meets certain minimum standards.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Last edited by jeffweico; 06-28-2012 at 10:36 PM.
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