Lawyers can practice law by helping clients plan to avoid problems, by solving problems once they develop, by representing and counseling businesses in a particular industry, by representing individuals sharing a common status or problem and by appearing or not appearing in court.
I am not suggesting all prospective law students must have decided, before entering law school, the specific career path they intend to follow.
In reality, most who think they do know will change their mind many times before graduation. But I am suggesting that prospective law students need to recognize that a wide variety of career options are available. And, as a result, that they must accept responsibility for a proactive, not reactive, role in their own career planning.
Students must avoid making career decisions based on the same reasons underlying their decision to enter law school--for money or prestige or by default. Instead, students must use the same critical and analytical thinking skills they demonstrated to get into law school, the same skills that will be necessary to succeed in school and as a lawyer, in making their career choices. Different types of legal careers require different skills and satisfy different interests.
One lawyer may negotiate the terms of an agreement for the sale of a business, another may draft the agreement, and yet another may defend the terms of the agreement in a court action.
The abilities and interests necessary to flourish as a tax lawyer for a large law firm are different from those of a juvenile rights lawyer for a legal aid office. Prospective students should understand that in making decisions about what type of practice to pursue they will need to take the time to identify their own skills and interests and match them to the demands of a particular career. Different legal practices also share in varying degrees some common skills and characteristics. Skills generally required include analytical thinking, creative writing, research, communication, counseling, problem solving, negotiation and the ability to work independently.
The life of most lawyers is not full of the glamour, excitement and financial regards popularly portrayed. Lawyers must tolerate, and hopefully thrive on, the adversarial nature of law practice and the hard work, long hours, and stress of juggling numerous projects and the competing demands of clients. And although all lawyers may not necessarily agree on which features are positive and which are negative, aspiring lawyers must determine if they will enjoy a career where these features are, to a degree, inevitable.
In my experience as a law school career services professional, the students who enter law school understanding the realities of law practice and then explore the career options available to them enjoy their legal career after school.
The ones who go to law school with unrealistic expectations, the ones who want to save, run, or buy the world, or who believe that their decision to go to law school is the only career choice they need to make, are the ones most likely to be unhappy and dissatisfied. These are the ones who, after several years of practicing law, will return to my office and ask what else they can do with their law degree.
Fortunately, more prospective students appear to be making informed choices. Law school career services directors report they have talked to more prospective law students in the last several years than in the previous ten years. This "new breed" of prospective students have an increased awareness of the realities of law practice and an increasing desire to know as much as possible about what life as a lawyer will be like and what their options will be upon graduation.
They thrive in situations in which they can develop their reasoning, analysis, research, and communication skills. Lawyers and law students derive satisfaction from being in a position of prestige. The prospect of working in a well known law firm or for a famous client excites many law students and lawyers who anticipate being respected by other adults.
If one or more of these reasons is your primary motivation, think about whether law school is really the right choice for you. Once you start law school, other interests and dreams will probably fall by the wayside, so if you have a nagging urge to explore something else, you should explore that before you go to law school.
Know the realities of legal life, but seek inspiration and positive role models to balance your understanding. Talk to as many lawyers and law students as you can to get a reality check on the legal profession. Also read Law School Confidential , a book of wisdom about law school and life as a young lawyer written by young lawyers available in the Piper Center. Law School Confidential advises that you think long and hard about what law school really entails and offers these points for consideration:.
Typical work weeks for recent graduates involve hours of work, which will impact your personal relationships and free time. That being said, there are plenty of students happy in law school and plenty of lawyers who are fulfilled by their jobs. There is a lot of negativity about the legal profession both in guidebooks and in the media, so also pay attention to the positives of a legal career. And hold on to that piece of paper where you wrote your fully developed understanding of why you want to be a lawyer ; it will allow you to avoid the pitfalls and becoming sidetracked from your goals.
For example, if you, like many St. Olaf students, are pursuing law so that you can serve disadvantaged populations or fight for social justice, it may be discouraging to find that you need to work in a big law firm to pay off your law school debt. One way to balance the practical need to pay off debt with the desire to do meaningful work is to keep one foot in the sector you want to work in while paying your dues at a big law firm.
You can also take time off to work before law school to lessen the debt load and give yourself more flexibility after graduation. You could also work for a large firm that has a strong commitment to pro-bono work or whose mission is to serve the public interest.
This way you never lose sight of why you became a lawyer in the first place and can build connections and knowledge in the sector you really want to work in. Piper Center for Vocation and Career. Search sitewide:.
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