Lawyers Case

When most people think of lawyers or law in general, they imagine a large courtroom with lawyers arguing their cases. Through my research, I have found that the field of law is an interesting and rewarding career that involves standing as a voice for justice not only as an advocate in the courtroom but also as a trusted advisor. It is a professional career that requires an extensive education, but can prove to be quite lucrative and employment opportunities in several areas of law are expected to grow.

A lawyer's main job is to understand the law and then interpret or apply it to their client's specific case. Lawyers act as advocates for their clients by representing them in court. They gather evidence to build a case and then present the evidence and argue on their client's behalf in court. Lawyers can represent clients in civil or criminal trials. Lawyers also act as advisors for their clients, explaining to them their legal rights and obligations ("Job Description"). There are many different types of law a lawyer may choose to specialize in. These include property, international, bankruptcy, family law and much more ("Careers"). In every area of specialty the basic job of a lawyer remains the same, to understand the law, apply and interpret it based on their client's situation and advise and advocate accordingly. According to The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Whether acting as an advocate or an advisor, all attorneys research the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply the law to the specific circumstances faced by their clients"("Lawyers").

The education to become a lawyer is long and arduous, but the resulting career can be very rewarding. The long path of law education begins in college for most students, although some high schools offer pre-law classes. A complete law education requires four years of college as well as four years of law school. In order for college graduates to be accepted into law school, they must take an LSAT exam. Law schools determine who is admitted based on LSAT scores as well as undergraduate grades and other criteria. In law school, students initially study general law, but must choose a specialty in their final two years ("Job Description"). Throughout a student's undergraduate work and law school they may try to get an internship or summer job working at a law firm to gain experience. After graduating from law school lawyers must become a member of particular states bar in order to practice law. To do so, they must pass a bar exam for that state ("Lawyers").

Most lawyers begin their careers in a law firm and work their way up. Students who pass bar exams are recruited by law firms to work for them. A student may be visited by a recruiter or interviewed at the firm's office. As lawyers take on more work and gain more experience, they may eventually be promoted to become a partner in the firm. Partners are part owners of the firm and receive a percentage of its profits each year ("Lawyers"). Experienced lawyers may choose to pursue other employment opportunities. According to State University.com, "Some lawyers go into politics or become judges. Some become prosecutors or district attorneys." Lawyers may also choose to start new careers in other industries where legal skills are useful but not required such as banks, insurance firms and real estate companies ("Job Description").

Lawyers can be paid