I Want to Become a Lawyer

Lawyers help settle disputes and some lawyers make sure a business is following the rules, that is why there will always be a demand for lawyers. Lawyers are a little part in trying to make the world a safe place. People who want to be lawyers should keep in mind the skills, preparation, the working environment, schooling, part-time jobs, promotion opportunities, the types of lawyers, and the pay.

When being a lawyer, I have to have many skills. I have to be able to listen and ask questions.

I would have to concentrate on things for a long time, solve problems, speak clearly, find strengths and weaknesses in ideas, and I would have to have neat handwriting. Another big part in being a lawyer is to be able to persuade someone and to be able to understand complex things. To help me prepare, I should study business law, keyboarding, law studies, the legal system, and public speaking. In business law, I will learn about rules and laws for running a business.

Get quality help now

writer-marian

Verified writer

Proficient in: Career

4.8 (309)

“ Writer-marian did a very good job with my paper, she got straight to the point, she made it clear and organized ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Computer Applications will help me with writing wills, deeds, and contracts, also keyboarding will help me type fast and correctly. In law studies and the legal system, I will learn how the legal system works and how laws are put into motion. Public speaking will help me get used to speaking loud and clear in front of a large crowd of people. As a lawyer, my day would be, long and stressful. New lawyers always start as associates and work on teams with more experienced lawyers.

Lawyers work is repetitive. I would have to talk with clients and give them the right advice about legal problems and represent them in court. I would have to avoid any errors. In a job as a lawyer, I would have to sit indoors for long amounts of time, work with stressed or upset people, and do research almost daily. Many lawyers are under pressure to make court dates and to get done with their research.

I also would have to be confidential with client information. Lawyers work in law firms, finance, insurance, or in government agencies. When I am representing a client in court, I have to argue for the client. I can be an advocate, try to prove that the client is not guilty. I can also be an advisor, give legal advice and services. The part that I like the least about the job of being a lawyer is the schooling. I first have to get my high school diploma.

Next, I have to have 14 years or more of higher schooling. 7 years of full-time study after high school, 4 years of undergraduate study, and 3 years of American Bar Association (ABA) law school to get my law degree. A bachelors’ degree is required to get into a law school. To be able to do law practices, I have to complete a Juris Doctor degree by the ABA. This bar exam shows that the law school is up to date and meets certain standards such as faculty and curriculum. To become a lawyer, you must pass at least one written bar exam. If you want to practice law in several states, you have to pass the bar exam in every state. You are also required to take online education courses to stay informed about new laws that have been passed.

The courses that you have to take to stay educated are legal ethics, taxes, tax fraud, and healthcare. When you are in schooling, you have the choice to get a part-time job or be a summer internship in a law firm, government agency, and legal departments provide experience. To be able to get a part-time job or be a summer internship you have to complete one year of law school.

Larger firms summer associate program is for students who have completed their second year. Having this opportunity makes it easier for students to choose what type of law they want to practice and they could get hired right after graduation. There are opportunities for promotion and lawyers have very good job security. Meaning, there will always be jobs in the future. In California, job security is very high because there will always be a demand for lawyers, people will always break rules. After several years, if you are really good at your job, you might get promoted to go to a legal department of a larger company, partner in the law firm you work at, or you could teach in a law school. However, if you don’t advance, you could be forced to leave.

It's either up or out. There are many types of lawyers and attorneys. Public defense attorneys represent people for court dates who can’t afford a personal attorney. Corporate counsels are lawyers who work for big companies. Corporate counsels warn executives about legal issues in business doings. This could involve Patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, the amount of ownership in a plot of land, taxes, deals for agreements with unions. There are also Interest lawyers, which work with private no income organizations who provide aid to disadvantaged people and people who can’t pay for attorneys. This type of attorney deals with civil cases which include, leases, job discrimination, wages, but not criminal cases.

Environmental Lawyers deal with issues that are interconnected with the environment. Tax lawyers deal with tax issues. They help companies choose how much to tax on a product. Intellectual property lawyers deal with inventions like someones personal work, like music or books. There are also security lawyers who specialize in the buying and selling of stocks and they make sure deals are properly made and followed through completely. There are also lawyers who specialize in family situations, they have to mess with divorce, adoption, and child custody battles. On average, a lawyer in California, as a beginner, makes $98,990 annually. For median level lawyers, they make about $144,080 and at the top position you can make up to 202,350 annually.

Monthly lawyers, as beginners, make $8,247. As an intermediate lawyer you can make up to $12,004 and as a top-level lawyer, you can make up to $16,859. Yet this is equivalent to, as a beginner, $47.59 an hour. Intermediate, you can make up to $69.27 an hour and at the topmost position, you get paid $97.28 an hour. As a lawyer, you have to juggle a lot of things around, which means you also have to stay organized. Since I want to become a lawyer, I have to keep in mind the skills, preparation, the working environment, schooling, part-time jobs, promotion opportunities, the types of lawyers, and the pay.