lawyer

So You Want to Be a Lawyer? A Guide for Aspiring Attorneys

What Does a Lawyer Do?

Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes. Their day-to-day activities can vary widely depending on their specialty, but commonly include:

• Researching and interpreting laws, regulations, and prior court decisions
• Providing legal advice and recommendations to clients
• Drafting legal documents like contracts, wills, and lawsuits
• Representing clients in court and at administrative hearings
• Negotiating deals and settlements out of court

Essentially, lawyers use their knowledge of the law to help clients resolve problems and disputes.

Different Types of Lawyers

There are many different types of lawyers, each specializing in a particular area of the law. Some common legal specialties include:

• Criminal law: represent defendants or prosecutors in criminal cases
• Family law: handle divorce, child custody, and other family legal matters
• Real estate: support buying and selling property
• Personal injury: help plaintiffs receive compensation for injuries
• Business/corporate: provide legal services to business clients
• Tax: help individuals and corporations on tax planning and disputes
• Intellectual property: assist with patents, trademarks, and copyrights

Of course, many lawyers have general practices covering a range of areas as well.

Becoming a Lawyer: Education and Licensing

To become a licensed lawyer in the U.S., you must:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (in any major)
2. Complete 3 years of law school and earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree
3. Pass the bar exam in the state(s) where you plan to practice

So the basic process is: college, then law school, then passing the bar. Let’s break it down a bit more…

Getting Into Law School

Law schools look at a variety of factors for admission, but primarily base decisions on:

• Undergraduate GPA
• LSAT score (Law School Admission Test)
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Work and extracurricular experience

Scoring well on the LSAT and maintaining a solid GPA (3.5+ is generally recommended) are key. Gaining relevant experience through internships and activities also helps.

Surviving Law School

Law school is an intense 3-year program focused on:

• Core classes like constitutional law, contracts, civil procedure
• Electives in specialized topics
• Legal research, writing, and analysis
• Clinics, externships, law journals, and moot court

It’s a heavy workload mixing lectures, reading lengthy legal opinions, writing papers, and practicing oral arguments. Coffee becomes your best friend.

Passing the Bar Exam

The bar exam is a 2-3 day standardized test on legal principles and ethics. It’s administered by each state and is notoriously difficult – many grads take bar prep courses to help them study for it. Passing rates vary but are often under 60%. Once licensed though, there are no additional exams needed to maintain active status.

A Day in the Life of a Lawyer

Since lawyers have so many different specialties, their exact daily tasks can vary quite a bit. But some typical activities might include:

• Researching statutes, judicial decisions, and legal articles to build cases and offer clients the best representation.
• Meeting with new and prospective clients to understand their situation and determine if it’s a case you can take on.
• Communicating with clients to gather facts, explain legal options, update them on case progress, and manage expectations.
• Drafting and reviewing legal documents like complaints, motions, briefs, contracts, and real estate paperwork.
• Representing clients in court or at settlement negotiations and arguing cases before judges and juries.
• Working collaboratively with partners, associates, and support staff in your law firm.

Of course trial lawyers spend more time in courtrooms, while transactional lawyers focus on paperwork and consultations. The variety of work keeps things interesting though.

Key Skills for Lawyers

To be an effective lawyer, these are some of the most important skills to possess and develop:

• Analytical skills: Carefully assessing cases, interpreting laws, spotting relevant details.
• Research skills: Digging through legal databases, case law, statutes.
• Writing skills: Drafting water-tight legal briefs, motions, contracts.
• Speaking/presentation skills: Making persuasive arguments in court and negotiations.
• Listening skills: Truly understanding client concerns and legal issues at hand.
• Strategic thinking: Plotting effective legal strategies and forecasting various outcomes.
• Negotiation skills: Working with opponents to broker deals and settlements.

Lawyers wear many hats so having a solid grasp of these core skills is a must. Strong emotional intelligence and ethics are also vital for building trust with clients and upholding your professional responsibilities.

The Pros and Cons of Practicing Law

As with any career, there are both advantages and downsides to working as a lawyer:

Potential Pros

• Intellectually stimulating work
• Opportunities to help people in need
• Strong earning potential at mid and senior levels
• Prestige of the profession
• Ability to be your own boss by starting a firm

Potential Cons

• Long, irregular hours are common
• Work can be extremely stressful and fast-paced
• Dealing with difficult opponents and clients
• Tight deadlines and billing pressures
• Significant cost and time needed for education

As with many careers, there are personal sacrifices and rewards to weigh. But overall a legal career can be extremely rewarding for those passionate about law and public service.

Getting Legal Experience as a Student

Gaining practical knowledge through legal internships and clinics can help prepare you for law school and give you an edge in the job market. Here are some options to consider:

• Find summer internships at small, mid-size, or large law firms
• Intern at legal aid clinics, public defenders offices, or DA offices
• Look for on-campus legal clinics assisting local communities
• Participate in mock trial groups
• Get involved with a pre-law society
• Consider journalism, political science, and pre-law majors

Any exposure to real legal work and environments will prove useful in law school and your future career.

Financial Realities of Practicing Law

Let’s discuss the financial side of being a lawyer…

Law School Costs

The total costs of law school typically range from:

• Public school: $80k – $150k
• Private school: $150k – $200k+

That’s just for tuition, fees, housing, books, etc. – not counting lost wages by not working. So graduating law school with $100k+ in student debt is very common.

Lawyer Salaries

The median annual wage for lawyers as of 2020 was around $126,930 per year. But there’s high variation based on:

• Experience level (entry-level vs senior partners)
• Firm size and prestige (big firms pay more)
• Practice area (corporate lawyers earn the most)
• Geographic region (big cities pay more)

So while the financial prospects in law can be lucrative long-term, the road there has some bumps. Carefully weighing the costs vs potential rewards is wise.

Making An Informed Decision

As you can see, practicing law is a challenging yet rewarding path that takes major commitment and passion. Make sure to:

• Talk to working lawyers in different fields to understand day-to-day realities
• Shadow attorneys when possible to watch them in action
• Discuss finances openly with law schools before attending
• Analyze your own motivations and skills to determine fit

With eyes wide open about both the highs and lows of the legal profession, you can make the best choice for your future.