If you are thinking about starting a career in law, it can certainly be said that you are in for quite a journey through life. Being a lawyer, or working at some other position in a legal career, is something that is generally considered very prosperous and opportunistic. You have surely heard people claim that there will always be a need for architects, since humanity is always going to have a need for new buildings. The same can be said about lawyers. Laws are made by men and that means they cannot be perfect. Instead, they are getting more and more complicated, because they need to include all possible things. This is why lawyers will always be required by common folks. It does not matter whether they will be needed for in-court duties like representing clients, or out-of-court duties like providing advice for great companies, there will always be a need for someone who is skilled in interpreting the law well. And the best part is that it is almost always handsomely paid, so money is not something that you should worry about.
If you are raring to choose law as your career, then I’m sure you would like to know what a lawyer can do, so let’s get to that part right away.
What job possibilities are there for someone who has finished law school?
Job opportunities are numerous, to say the least. While it may seem that the only course of action for someone who has finished law school is to go and work for some great law firm, this is not always the case. This is not the only option that exists, but this is the most common one, certainly.
So, one of the most obvious possibilities would be to go and work for a great law firm. As an employee of a law firm, you will have the possibility to represent people in the court of law, which is, basically the first thing that comes to mind. However, while working there, you might be asked to give legal advice to someone who needs it. You can be asked to review agreements before they are signed or even participate in drafting these legally binding documents. Lawyers are skilled in interpreting and applying the law and they can make sure that the agreement that is being signed bears no ill towards either party, and that it has no holes that can later be exploited to the benefit of only one party.
”When in law school, you will be able to choose a specialization for your career. This is optional, but it is highly recommended, because specializing in one area of the law, like, for example, the area of personal injuries compensation, can benefit you greatly because experts in certain fields are highly sought after. There are numerous law firms that deal with only one area of the law. Such law firms are usually paid very well, because they know everything there is to know about the field that they specialize in. However, if you wish to work more broadly with the law, you do not have to specialize at all ”, says Greg Smith from Smith’s Lawyers, a compensation lawyer from Durban.
What are the tasks that one in a legal career can expect?
Choosing a career in law means that you will have to fulfill certain tasks and duties, once you start working in your branch. Some of them may be courtroom-related, while others do not specifically have to be. First we will list those that are courtroom-related:
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First and foremost, representing the clients in the court of law, in front of judges, or representing them in front of other government agencies that deal with interpreting the law;
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Prosecuting and defending in civil and criminal cases, by presenting evidence to the jury or to the judge, depending on the type of the trial;
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Jury selection, witness questioning, meeting with judges and arguing motions in a trial.
There are other non-courtroom-related duties that a lawyer might be asked to do, and these are:
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Providing legal advice for those who ask for it, by interpreting the law and regulations (both companies and private parties might ask for legal advice);
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Providing analysis of court cases, including the prediction of possible verdict, by using the knowledge of the law and precedents that may have happened;
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Go through evidence and other case-relevant data and provide advice on whether the client should follow with a lawsuit or not;
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Help with drafting legal documents such as: loans, wills, deeds, patent claims, etc.;
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Negotiating settlements on behalf of your clients;
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Hold administrative positions in a company, related to law practice.
What skills are required for a career in law?
Every career has certain skills that are required to fulfill the duties and tasks that go with it. These skills usually determine the career path of a high school student, so assessing your skills before choosing a major at a college is highly advisable. In short, here are a few skills that are essential for a legal career:
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Speaking skill – you need to be well versed in legal language and you have to be able to formulate your expostulations precisely, as to avoid any misinterpretation of your words;
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Negotiating, persuading and argumentation skills – swaying others to your way of thinking and showing them why your side is right, through your charisma and the strength of your arguments;
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Listening and reading skills – Understanding complex law rhetoric can be a bit hard sometimes, so it is very important to understand what is being said in the courtroom or what is written in a law document;
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Staying informed – Active learning is very important, since the law is something that changes often. You have to stay updated in order to be able to provide the best possible service for your clients.
In the end, it is important to say that choosing a career is perhaps the greatest decision in a person’s life and it should be thoroughly considered. Once you choose, it is not easy to go back. This list of duties and skills required is designed to show you what will be required of you to do when you become a lawyer. If you think that you have what it takes, my advice is to go for it, since being a lawyer is one of the most prosperous and one of the most enjoyable careers that can be found.
