Career Discoveries in Law
James Shepard Leadership Career Discoveries Group March 2007
On March 2nd 2007, Journalist and Author Anne Coulter referred to presidential candidate John Edwards as a “faggot” in front of thousands of people. This kind of discriminatory attitude that is prevalent in today’s society is the kind of mindset I want to punish as an attorney. A career in law is filled with long hours, hard work, and responsibility. With it comes excellent pay, high prestige, and every once in a while- the chance to see justice being done. The journey will be difficult- three years of law school on top of college, plus at least ten years in a firm before making partner- but as Hunter S. Thompson once wrote “who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived, or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?” (qtd. In Perry 16).
Summary:
Photo Courtesy of Google Images
Methodology: How does one become an attorney? How much money do attorneys make? What exactly does an attorney even do? In
researching a career in law, these were my driving questions. Researched online in depth, and talked to Paul Gerowitz who was a guest speaker for my discussion section.
What does an attorney do?: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors
in our society. As advocates, they represent one of the parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support their client. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients concerning their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters.” In short, an attorney’s job is to give council to his or her client about matters pertaining to the law. To be able to give advice on a broad range of possible topics, one must be a voracious learner. For an attorney, learning and mastering the law only starts in law school.
How much money does an attorney make?: Like
most fields, there is a vast disparity in what attorneys make per year nationwide. A partner in a prestigious firm might make several million, while a still-green law school graduate might only make fifty thousand. According to The National Association for Law Placement, the median pay for all first year attorneys straight out of law school is one hundred thousand dollars a year. That number goes down for attorneys joining small law firms of 2-25 attorneys to sixty seven thousand a year, and goes up for attorneys joining large firms in the excess of 500 attorneys to one hundred and twenty five thousand a year. (Collins). As can be shown on the graph to the right, legal services have experienced a proportional growth to gross domestic product, and now make up a sizable percentage of GDP.
Graph courtesy of http://www.law.northwestern.edu/career/markettrends/gpd_law_service s.html
How does one become an attorney?: According to the State Bar of California website, several criteria are required to become an attorney in California. One must be at least 18 years old, have completed two years of undergraduate work (or passed equivalency tests), and have graduated from an accredited law school. In addition one must have passed the state bar exam, and received a “positive ‘moral character’ determination.”(Cal Bar). A moral character determination is a series of tests to see that one is an ethical and honest person. While three years of law school is often preferred, in the state of California there are other options. One could study law under a judge or lawyer for at least four years to meet the requirement.
Photo courtesy of http://capitol.visit-washington-dc.com/Capitol-Building-4.jpg
Acknowledgments:
First of all I’d like to thank my parents for being there for me my
Ever since I was a little kid, people have always told me I should be an attorney. Maybe it was my love of verbal debate, or my strange love of finding loop holes in rules. Looking at the long road in front of me- the late nights, tedious work, and extra three years of school- I know that life as an attorney will be far from glamorous. But if after all that work I’m able to make one little difference in another’s life or cause one little spark of happiness to light up someone else’s eyes, then it would all have been worth it. I would be lying if I said that the financial security wasn’t a definite plus as well. In the end, all this research into life as an attorney has left me more interested in this career, and I shall endeavor to become an attorney as best I can.
Conclusions:
whole life and letting me make my own career decisions. Next I’d like to thank all the speech and debate coaches I’ve ever had for instilling in me a love of debate and competition. I’d also like to thank the Career Discovery Program, Marcie Kirk Holland, and Janice Morand for this amazing opportunity to learn more about myself and my skills. Finally I’d like to thank Melissa Borel for putting up with me for two whole quarters now, I know it’s not easy- thanks Missy.
Citations:
Collins, Judith. “Entry-Level Lawyer Salaries Remarkably Stable”. 2005. 4 Mar. 2007 Perry, Paul. Fear and Loathing: The Strange and Terrible Saga of Hunter S. Thompson. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1992. United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Lawyers”. 4 Aug. 2006. 4 Mar. 2007 The State Bar of California. “How Do I Become a Lawyer?”. 2006. 4 Mar. 2007.