The Legal Profession
If you are thinking about going to law school, there’s no time like the present. The economy is in a slump and lawyers with rare skills, such as litigation support, have been in very high demand since 2009. It may be more difficult for some people to get into the top schools but the number of applications continues to trend downward nationally so law schools are becoming more choosy.
If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably already decided to go to law school but maybe not because ‘you want to be a lawyer’. You just know that lawyers make a lot of money and your favorite celebrity hates them so … why not?
Becoming a lawyer can push your earnings over six figures and beyond, even as a first-year associate.
Who is best suited to become a lawyer?
Do you like solving problems and exercising your analytical skills? Then becoming a lawyer may be the perfect profession for you! Lawyers help solve legal disputes and navigate cases, issues and laws.
They also advise clients on specific legal matters such as contracts, sales agreements and other related documents that businesses use every day to do business. Becoming a lawyer requires making education a priority and a great deal of hard work. However, the numerous benefits you can receive may just be well worth it.
If you’re interested in helping people, consider becoming a lawyer. Lawyers protect their clients’ rights within the legal system. Think about how many times you’ve had to rely on contracts or agreements that were written by lawyers! Becoming a lawyer means you become part of the system that will help society function more smoothly, effectively and fairly.
Lawyers also handle divorces, wills and other legalities to make sure people are protected in case the worst happens. Becoming a lawyer is definitely hard work, but it can be highly rewarding!
Are lawyers that important?
Lawyers are important. They’re the only profession that has the ability to help you or harm you legally without ever stepping into a courtroom. Lawyers can also make a lot of money working for themselves but most lawyers become employed by someone else – either as an in-house counsel or as a member of the bar.
What does it take to become a lawyer?
If you want to become a lawyer, it’s never too late. As long as you have good grades and one piece of glowing recommendation from an employer or professor, your chances are very good that you will get into one of your top choices for law school.
Even if you don’t have great grades or work experience, it’s not impossible to get into law school. People with all sorts of backgrounds are now lawyers, like former journalists.
Law School Admission Council (LSAC) survey data from 2018 shows that about half of those who were admitted to a U.S. law school had taken the LSAT at least once before submitting their most recent application.
If you want to go be a lawyer, it’s time. Your first year of law school is not easy but it can be easier than studying for the LSAT or writing college papers. If you can read, write and understand English then you’ll be just fine in law school.
Law schools are gradually increasing enrollment over the next three years after a period of contraction. If you go to law school and give it your best effort, you will graduate with skills that can open doors to great opportunities in business, politics and government and among in-house counsel throughout the country.
And if not … well at least you won’t have wasted all of those years in college getting a liberal arts degree.
Becoming a lawyer!
Becoming a lawyer is not like becoming an accountant or surgeon. Becoming a lawyer requires years of study in college and law school, followed by passing the bar exam in your state (or states). Becoming a lawyer takes discipline and long hours but it’s not brain surgery.
Becoming a lawyer is reasonably expensive. Although some schools offer merit scholarships to about one-third of the incoming class, tuition at the nation’s top 40 law schools now exceeds $50,000 per year (with living expenses an additional $20,000 or more).
Becoming a lawyer also requires taking and passing the LSAT exam, which costs $190. Becoming a lawyer also requires an undergraduate degree, which typically takes four years of study at about $40,000 per year for state residents (more than double that for out-of-state students), not including room and board.
Becoming a lawyer typically means having to relocate because most law schools are located in or near major cities (e.g., New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago). Becoming a lawyer will require you to take and pass the bar exam in your state before practicing law.
Becoming a lawyer typically takes six years of study if you attend full-time (three years for each undergraduate and law degree) and three or more years if you attend part-time. Becoming a lawyer typically takes longer than going to college, with the typical graduate attending law school full-time over the course of 18 months.
Becoming a lawyer means giving up any social life that you had in college, at least for your first couple of years of law school. Becoming a lawyer also requires studying about 40 hours per week during the first year of law school and forgetting about sports, dating or anything else besides studying.
Becoming a lawyer typically means becoming a more serious student, even if you were a good student already.
Becoming a lawyer means taking the LSAT exam, which has three sections (reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning) that are each scored on a scale of 120 to 180. Becoming a lawyer typically requires studying for at least six weeks before the LSAT exam, even if you have done well in college or were an English major.
Becoming a lawyer also requires taking and passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), which costs $250, before sitting for the bar exam in your state or states. Becoming a lawyer typically means taking on large student loans.
Becoming a lawyer typically requires getting on waiting lists for law school admissions.
Becoming a lawyer also typically means long hours in the office, lots of paperwork and little contact with co-workers. Becoming a lawyer may mean working in cramped spaces (such as shared offices) with few amenities (such as microwaves).
Becoming a lawyer means having to deal with competition from younger lawyers that may be willing to work for less than your rates, which may mean that you will not be able to charge as much for your services.
How much does an average lawyer make?
Lawyers who work for non governmental organizations or who work for government agencies usually make much less money than those working at law firms. The average salary for a general practice attorney is $70,000 per year. Some lawyers make as low as $40,000 per year while others make up to $120,000 a year.
Lawyers who work for law firms often make much more money than those in other positions. The average annual salary for a lawyer working at a small boutique firm is $110,000 and the average annual salary for a lawyer working at big firms is $160,000.
Large New York City law firms usually pay their lawyers more than Los Angeles law firms; the average annual salary is $180,000.
Can a lawyer be poor?
It is important to note that the law is not a lucrative profession for everyone. There are lawyers who have never made more than $50,000 per year, which led them to pursue other career opportunities.
The current economic crisisThe biggest challenge lawyer’s face today is whether they will be able to make a living doing what they love.
Reasons why a career as a lawyer may not be right for you.
1. You enjoy working with people and don’t mind helping them solve their problems.
While lawyers certainly do interact with people regularly, it is more likely that you will serve as an intermediary between two parties who do not want to speak directly with each other.
2. You’re looking for a stable job and salary.
There is no doubt that lawyers can earn very good salaries and have excellent job security. However, the average law school graduate leaves with more than $100,000 in student loans and a legal job can be hard to find.
3. You want to make a difference or practice law helping the needy.
Most people who work in public interest do so during the summer while they are still in law school or immediately after graduating from law school. After that, their salaries might be so low they could qualify for public assistance programs.
4. You want a job with regular office hours and predictable working conditions.
Some types of white collar jobs may have more steady work hours, but as a lawyer you can expect your workday to be packed with unpredictable activities, including attending court hearings or meetings with clients late at night or on weekends.
Also, unlike many other professional jobs, you will be expected to bill for every hour that you work – if you do not meet your billing quota, it could affect how much money you make later on.
5. You are looking for a challenge and don’t mind stress or pressure.
Being a lawyer is definitely stressful! There will be days when you will have more work than you can accomplish in a day and other days where your boss will expect you to stay beyond your normal quitting time.
6. You are t ired of school or don’t like studying.
Law school is three years long (or longer depending on whether or not the student finishes in the top half of his/her class) and it can be very intensive. It is definitely not an escape from studying!
7. You are interested in sports or fashion law.
This is an outdated idea that anyone who thinks about becoming a lawyer should consider seriously before moving forward with their plans. There are just too many lawyers for any career path to be an easy, simple choice.
So, Should you become a lawyer?
In conclusion, you should make sure that becoming a lawyer is the right career path for you by learning as much as possible about your chosen field, looking for jobs in your desired location, and speaking to practicing lawyers before applying to law school.
Only after doing all of the above can a person be assured that they will find success and enjoyment within their chosen career.
Good luck.