Word of warning, though: It’s true that some law firms will let you work before you’ve actually been licensed. But many groups practicing civil rights law are non-profit, and can’t afford to pay you until you’re licensed–so you should be prepared to work on a volunteer basis until then.

In the US, you need a bachelors (usually 4 years) then law school (3 years). July after law school, you take the bar exam, then start working in the fall. It usually takes a year after taking the bar to be admitted and officially be a lawyer, but you can do a lot of work for a law firm, etc in the meantime.