I am thinking of being a lawyer?

Jon M

Regardless of what everyone else is saying if you would like to become a lawyer then follow your dream. Goto University, get your degree and become a lawyer.

mailaccount63

Please don't do this. Warning: Jobs in the field of Law are really drying up FAST!!! This is not a good field to invest in!!! Reasons? Really bad economy, we simply have too many lawyers, too many people today think (mistakenly) that they can do their own legal work now thanks to the WWWeb, there are WAY TOO MANY law schools today churning out WAY TOO MANY graduates for the demand and economy (but the law schools won't tell you this - law students are easy money).

Suggestion: Go into the field of Healthcare! <<< LOTS of jobs there!!! and scholarships!

neoimperialistxxi

Me, I've been a lawyer for over 20 years, and I believe that it is unethical to encourage a young person to go into the practice of law. Jobs were never plentiful and they are really drying up right now. Too many lawyers being graduated every year by too many law schools is a good part of the reason. There are just too many lawyers chasing after too few paying clients, and that's bad for everybody.

Anyway, to answer your question, legal practice generally falls into two categories; criminal and civil. In criminal practice you can prosecute or defend, and there are two general subcategories of defense. Those are represented by public defenders and private practitioners. Juvenile defense makes up yet another specialized area of criminal practice.

In the civil areas, there is a great deal more to choose from. There's general civil litigation, business litigation, corporate representation, family litigation (divorces and such), personal injury, debt collection, environmental litigation, civil rights, and appellate litigation. I'm sure that there are others, but that's what comes to mind just now.

Do yourself a favor and think about doing something more useful. Even designing computer games will probably make you happier than practicing law will. The emotional toll that it takes on a person is terrible and it will negatively affect your view of people generally. Like I said, the job market for lawyers stinks and it is not a very good investment with regard to your future employability.

go_dawgsj

If attend a good law school (in the top 50 in the US News Rankings), don't graduate at the bottom of the class, make it a priority to get good work experience during law school (don't wait tables for extra money. Instead, take unpaid internships and law school clinics that will beef up your resume), and you are willing to put some effort into your job search, you will be able to find a job after graduation.

Yes, it's a competitive field, and there are more law school graduates each year than there are job openings. However, there are something like 200 ABA approved law schools, and also quite a few not accredited by the ABA. It's the graduates from the no name schools who have a hard time finding a job.

For the answer to your questions (what types of law you can practice and what the job entails), explore this website:
http://www.abanet.org/public.html

Also - please don't listen to Bluecow. Attorneys are held to high ethical standards. In order to be admitted to the bar, you have to pass a rigorous background check that includes a credit check, 10 year employment history, criminal history, references, and more. Then, after bar admission, any unethical practices can be reported to the bar, and the bar investigates and disciplines. Just like in any profession, there are good people and bad people.

Regarding legal fees, if you go to school for seven years and take a big test, it is reasonable to charge a lot of money. Plus, there are thousands of attorneys who work for less than teacher's pay in public interest organizations and in government work.

The above poster is clearly not well informed.

bluecow

well, u have to ask yourself 2 questions, if the answer is YES to both, then you'll make a pretty good living.
1- can u rob someone blind and still smile at your victim?
2- can u still feel proud and superior after charging sky high fees for doing jack sh1t?

many if not all are crooks, especially those in litigation. these are the ones that will be judged on 'Judgment Day'

Ipsita L

a lawer is a respectable citizen of our country.

Working as a lawyer involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems,

visi the link ;www.bls.gov/k12/law02.htm -

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