Becoming a Lawyer
Are you familiar with the vast range of career options available to those with legal training? Have you asked yourself why you might like to be a lawyer? Do you know what you need to do to become one? Are you willing to spend several years studying law in order to do so?
Becoming a lawyer — and practicing law — is not easy. A career in law, however, can be extremely rewarding. And it can be a good fit for many different kinds of people from many different cultural, ethnic and educational backgrounds.
There is no one “lawyer” type of person or job. As a lawyer, you might choose to prosecute accused criminals, for example, or negotiate real estate deals, advise corporations, help arrange adoptions, work to protect the environment or teach law.
A legal career can provide you with an opportunity to help people, businesses or governments solve problems. And you can play a crucial role in our justice system as well. As a lawyer, you truly can make a difference.
Lawyers are both advocates and advisors. They help solve–or prevent–legal problems for others. For example, a lawyer might:
* Assist in drafting a will.
* Help a merchant sue a customer for unpaid bills.
* Advise someone who is seeking a divorce.
* Prepare mortgages and other loan documents for a bank.
* Research a tax law in international trade for a corporate executive.
* Prosecute a defendant in a criminal trial.
* Help an impoverished tenant with a landlord dispute.
As a lawyer, you might serve as general counsel for a corporation. You might choose to become a lawyer in a big firm. You might work for a legal services agency and help destitute families resolve their legal crises. Or you could become a prosecutor, public defender, county counsel or city attorney.
A lawyer’s choice of legal fields is as varied as the society in which he or she lives. And the nature of the law-related work available within each field varies as well. No matter what you have seen on television, the practice of law is not all courtroom drama.
Many practicing lawyers rarely see the inside of a courtroom. Others do not even practice law, choosing instead to work in business, government and other law-related fields. It all depends on what appeals to you as an individual. The possibilities are virtually limitless.
