go_dawgsj
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I practice family law, so I can answer about that practice area.
Pros - it's very "real life" work, you hear people's stories, it's rewarding because you are making a real difference in someone's life and doing something that really matters.
Cons - family law issues can make generally rational, nice people turn completely irrational and crazy. The most difficult part of the job is dealing with your own client. There's so much anger and so much changing in the client's life, that it's often hard for them to make decisions and agree to a perfectly reasonable settlement offer. This can be quite trying on the attorney, and is why a lot of attorneys have no interest in family law.
I'm not sure you understand the role of a guardian ad litem. Actually, the GAL role varies by state. In some states, it's just a community volunteer. However, in my state, the GAL is actually an attorney. They are paid well (it's "actually a career"), and they do make a difference, as their job is to represent the child's best interest. They are typically used in custody disputes. They interview the child, therapists, school teachers, parents, etc, and form an opinion as to what they think is in the child's best interest. States without GAL attorneys probably have something similar with a different name.
You should also consider juvenile law. You can represent Child Protective Services in abuse and neglect cases. I did this for a year, and it's definitely rewarding (but also low paying)! If you try juvenile law and don't like it, one benefit is that you will spend a LOT of time in court, which will give you experience to help you move to a different practice area. My state also has GAL attorneys for child abuse and neglect cases, and I do some of this work now (it's court appointed work in my county). |
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