American lawyers are licensed by the individual states in which they practice law.There is no national authority that licenses lawyers.Most states require applicants to hold a law degree (Juris Doctor)from an accredited law school.An American law degree is a postgraduate degree awarded at the end of a three-year course of study.(Normally individuals complete four years of college/university before attending law school).Also, most states require that applicants for a license to practice law pass a written bar examination and meet certain standards of character.Do lawyers in the U.S. make a lot of money?The answer is yes and no.It depends what kind of law he practice and what law firm he works in.Lawyers and judges have totally different reputations.Judges (who are formal lawyers)are much trusted in the U.S.while lawyers are not quite trusted by the general public in the U.S.American lawyers are licensed by the individual states in which they practice law. There is no national authority that licenses lawyers. Most states require applicants to hold a law degree (Juris Doctor) from an accredited law school. An American law degree is a postgraduate degree awarded at the end of a three-year course of study. (Normally individuals complete four years of college/university before attending law school). Also, most states require that applicants for a license to practice law pass a written bar examination and meet certain standards of character. Do lawyers in the U.S. make a lot of money? The answer is yes and no. It depends what kind of law he practice and what law firm he works in. Lawyers and judges have totally different reputations. Judges (who are formal lawyers) are much trusted in the U.S. while lawyers are not quite trusted by the general public in the U.S