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It is not what you see on T.V. or even in the courtroom. For every one hour in the court room there is about 4 hrs outside of the courtroom preparing a case.
I think this ratio is optimistic, at least for most trial attorneys - certainly for civil cases. 1:4 may be possible for some forms of criminal casework, but not for civil or more complex litigation. This is just my impression; I am not a litigator myself.
The whole point of law school is to be exposed to all aspects of the law and choose your specialty. Most law school students change their mind at least once after starting.
I think this ratio is optimistic, at least for most trial attorneys - certainly for civil cases. 1:4 may be possible for some forms of criminal casework, but not for civil or more complex litigation. This is just my impression; I am not a litigator myself.
Not to mention that a fair amount of "time in the court room" may be simply waiting for your case to come up on the docket.
The real question is: Do you want to be an entrepreneur for yourself? I’ve worked in law firms (both large and small) for years and real challenge is (1) getting clients in the door and, (2) getting them to pay their bills.
You can’t just hang a shingle in a small city and expect to support yourself. Most people with money and the need for a lawyer already have a lawyer or a firm that they use.
Most law grads fall down because they don’t understand how the profession works. Law school teaches how to think like a lawyer and how to do research. That’s about it. You can’t come out of law school and march into a courtroom. There’s a reason why law firms are quasi-apprenticeship programs. It takes seven years (or more) of being an associate before you really know what you’re doing, especially for something as complicated as litigation.
The real question is: Do you want to be an entrepreneur for yourself? I’ve worked in law firms (both large and small) for years and real challenge is (1) getting clients in the door and, (2) getting them to pay their bills.
You can’t just hang a shingle in a small city and expect to support yourself. Most people with money and the need for a lawyer already have a lawyer or a firm that they use.
Most law grads fall down because they don’t understand how the profession works. Law school teaches how to think like a lawyer and how to do research. That’s about it. You can’t come out of law school and march into a courtroom. There’s a reason why law firms are quasi-apprenticeship programs. It takes seven years (or more) of being an associate before you really know what you’re doing, especially for something as complicated as litigation.
I strongly disagree. If you are out in the country where the cost of living is low you can certainly make ends meet by getting on court lists and taking contract work from the state. You will not make a lot of money by any stretch of the imagination, but you can support yourself.
Secondly not all litigation is created equal. Maybe it takes that long if you are talking big time superior court, or appellate cases, but I have seen 3Ls that can rock it in district court. While I agree that law school doesn't teach you how to be a lawyer, I think you have a skewed view of litigation towards the high end.
Last edited by Randomstudent; 08-11-2011 at 08:53 PM..
There's more to personal injury than medical malpractice cases. Just thought I would throw that out there.
Truthfully I recommend waiting until you are in law school. It is amazing how you get clarity once you actually get in the trenches. Right now it would be difficult for you to really be decisive about an area of law unless you are looking into something with patents which requires a certain background.
I know some people have hit on this already, but the concept of being a "trial lawyer" is almost completely dead, except in the criminal arena. You can be a "litigator" but that means that you will spend 90% of your time in the office and 10% in court, taking depositions, etc. If a desk job is not for you, I doubt you will like being an attorney. There may be a potential exception with some low-level criminal defense work (like defending against traffic citations, DWIs, etc.) or prosecuting work, because those cases do go to trial quite often. If you can handle the emotion, family law is another area that at least gets you out of the office more often (being in court, talking to clients, etc.) but it is hard work and doesn't pay much. For better or worse, most legal work is research, writing, reviewing documents, and talking on the phone.
You can be a "litigator" but that means that you will spend 90% of your time in the office and 10% in court, taking depositions, etc.
That sounds fine!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Albuquerque101
If a desk job is not for you, I doubt you will like being an attorney.
My current job, which I love, could be called a "desk job" 90% of the time - so that's fine. I'm not really trying to avoid time behind a desk, I just want there to be more to it than just that...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Albuquerque101
There may be a potential exception with some low-level criminal defense work (like defending against traffic citations, DWIs, etc.) or prosecuting work, because those cases do go to trial quite often.
Actually all of that sounds really interesting to me - low level criminal defense might be right up my alley... and I hadn't really considered it. But traffic tickets and other low level crimes? I think I could handle that! Thank you for the feedback!
The real question is: Do you want to be an entrepreneur for yourself? I’ve worked in law firms (both large and small) for years and real challenge is (1) getting clients in the door and, (2) getting them to pay their bills.
I own my own business now, so that part doesn't scare me.
At this point I just need to do some research, and figure out if I have enough passion for this to make it work. I honestly don't know at this point if it's right for me. But I intend to find out!
If you can handle the emotion, family law is another area that at least gets you out of the office more often (being in court, talking to clients, etc.) but it is hard work and doesn't pay much.
Actually family law can be quite lucrative.
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