Georgia Real Property Law Education and Training

Get the right training to practice real estate law in Georgia
By Emmet McMahan Georgia real property law deals primarily with the ownership of land. Georgia real property law education and training should include recognition of the most important classifications of real property. These include concurrent estates, freehold estates and non-freehold estates.

GA real estate laws generally allow the state exclusive jurisdiction over the land within its borders. These laws are not subject to federal law for the most part. There are three phases to an attorney’s education on real property laws in Georgia:

1. Formal education. An attorney who practices Georgia real estate law should at least have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. The J.D. degree should come from a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
2. Specialization. Attorneys frequently choose to specialize by taking specific training in real property law in Georgia. These courses may be taken as a program of concentration in law school or as Continuing Legal Education (CLE).
3. Membership in professional organizations. There are many legal organizations for attorneys who practice real property law. These may be bar associations, organizations for a particular cause or groups exclusively for practicing real estate attorneys.
   

Attend a law school that specializes in GA real property law

There are a variety of universities in Georgia that provide training in real property law, such as specific coursework, a formal concentration or legal clinics.
Try:  The University of Georgia School of Law offers property law courses to its first year students and also provides a study guide on property law. Emory University School of Law provides an outline of its first year study of property law.

Obtain CLE credit for a Georgia real estate attorney

Georgia requires attorneys to stay current on changes in employment law with CLE courses. There are a variety of education and training programs in Georgia that provide CLE credit in real property law.
Try:  The State Bar of Georgia includes courses in real property law in its calendar of CLE courses. The Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia provides seminars in real property law for CLE credit, such as the Residential Real Estate Concurrent Session.

Learn through professional training associations on Georgia real estate laws

Professional associations frequently offer formal training such as conferences, seminars and workshops in employment and labor law. These organizations also provide more casual meetings that allow attorneys to exchange tips on building and maintaining a practice.
Try:  The Real Estate section of the Atlanta Bar Association provides a calendar of activities for attorneys practicing real estate law in the Atlanta area. The Georgia Association for Women Lawyers holds regular events on all areas of law, including real estate law.

• Georgia real estate lawyers also may wish to specialize in a particular type of real property to provide better service for their clients. For example, an attorney may learn about the specific property laws on farming in order to build a practice around agricultural property.