Lawyer

A lawyer is a person learned in the law or a person who practices law. They can experience very interesting, exciting careers and are paid very highly. Lawyers give advice to individuals and companies about what they can legally do according to the law, and also represent clients in court. It is one of the most difficult professions to enter but it is a very rewarding job.

Education

To become a lawyer, you need to study extremely hard, beginning in high school. If you develop good study habits as well as strong reading and communication skills early, it will benefit you later in law school. After high school, you need to attend and graduate from a 4 year undergraduate college. You need to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, although this will need to be much higher to even be considered by the top law schools. Most law schools do not factor in your major however, so it may be worth taking an easier subject to get better grades. You then need to take the LSAT, which is a half day standardized test. There is usually a course you can take to prepare for the LSAT, and most law schools place a substantial weight on an individual’s LSAT scores. After you take the LSAT, you can apply to several ABA law schools, typically in 3 categories: wish schools (schools you have a small chance of getting in), middle of the road schools (schools you have a decent chance of getting in), and safety schools (schools you will definitely get in). Yale (https://www.law.yale.edu/) and Stanford (https://www.law.stanford.edu/) offer two of the best law schools in the country. You will need to work extremely hard in law school. If you have time, try to get a position at a nearby law firm (such as a messenger, assistant, or file clerk) or apply for a summer internship program. This experience will benefit you later when you are applying for a job. After you’ve completed law school, you need to pass a state bar exam. After you pass the state bar exam, you are officially a lawyer, although you now need to find a job, which can be a difficult process because of the competiveness of the profession. That’s why it is important to have experience working at a law firm and maintain excellent grades throughout law school.

Job Description

As a lawyer, you will have many duties, including the following:

• Conduct civil and criminal lawsuits, advise clients of their legal rights, draw up      legal documents
• Develop strategy, testimony, and arguments to prepare for a case
• Interview witnesses and clients while preparing for trial
• Represent clients in court
• File briefs with a court clerk
• Draft wills or transfer of assets
• Confer with colleagues to establish or verify the basis for legal proceedings
• Prepare business contracts or settle labour disputes
• Teach college law courses

These are just some of the many duties a lawyer may have to perform.

Pros & Cons

While becoming a lawyer and working as a lawyer is extremely hard work and time consuming, you are rewarded with a very high salary. Lawyers have an average salary of approximately $130 000 per year. As a lawyer, you have the ability to pursue justice on clients’ behalf and help resolve their problems. It is a very exciting profession, especially for people who enjoy confrontation, strategy, and the drama of the courtroom. There are many areas of law you can choose from as well, and lawyers are needed in a wide range of industries. There are some negatives, however. It takes at least 7 years of school after high school to become a lawyer, and you have to work extremely hard. You work long hours, especially during court trials, and face strict deadlines, which can be extremely stressful and interfere with various aspects of your family life. You also may be threatened, especially if you are a criminal lawyer.