Career Advice on How to Become A Lawyer |
General Career Information |
| Few educational programs succeed in inflating already inflated egos quite like the three-year legal training program commonly referred to as “law school.” Often a law degree is seen as a magical thing. But in reality, it is just the result of a three-year legal training program that when stripped of its bells and whistles is often really not even very comprehensive. Once most would-be lawyers have graduated from law school, they believe that they have been imbued with near super human abilities and that they are as infallible as the Pope himself. While this is a generalization, those who know the progression understand how much truth resides in this statement. What perhaps makes this profession so unique is the broad spectrum of individuals it attracts, ranging from frat boys looking for another way to project their rage, to the victims of that range the puny dork who spent a good deal of time with his head being stuffed in a toilet. Oddly, this frat boy and the dork are destined to meet once more in law school where they may even end up in a study group together pretending to have moved on. Few other professions are as varied as the law profession in that there are lawyers that are essentially renegade demons let loose from the jaws of hell and misguided do-gooders who are only destined to meet their painful demise on the brutal rocks of the legal system. For those considering adding this occupation to their job search or career planning, it is important to realize what you are getting yourself into. |
Career Facts: |
In theory, lawyers take oaths to defend the rights of their clients and represent them in legal matters, ranging from criminal cases to contract law to site just two examples. What one does on a given day working as a lawyer largely depends on their legal specialty and the quality of their character. Since the law encompasses all aspects of human endeavors, one can find lawyers in every walk of society and commerce. Lawyers specialize in everything from bankruptcy law and divorce law to international law and environmental law. Name an area, whether it is education, business, government or anything between, and you will find lawyers imbedded in the middle. But no matter what law they are practicing, you can rest assured that most lawyers will charge by the hour… and they will charge a whole lot. |
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook- Average: |
| Due to the fact that there are already so many lawyers driving about in overpriced cars, there is little room left for yet more. However, the overall rate of growth for lawyers is expected to run at about thirteen percent between 2008 and 2018. |
 |
A Day in The Life: |
| Few occupations are as dependent on what university one attends as the legal profession. Those who graduate from the most elite, and thus most expensive, institutions are the same individuals that usually end up with the most prestigious jobs. Admission into these universities is predominately based upon one’s LSAT score and little else, despite window dressing to the counter. Those considering entering law school should be completely consumed with their LSAT score and little else despite contrary rhetoric. |
Average Salary: |
| The average salary for a lawyer is about $110,000 with top earners earning far, far more. |
$110k |
Career Training and Qualifications: |
| Law school typically takes three years after the completion of an undergraduate degree. Once they have finished law school, students must pass the bar exam of a given state in order to practice law. |
