4 answers
Norris
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
Updated
715 views
What does your workday as a lawyer look like?
Hello, I am focusing very straightforward on becoming a lawyer and someday a Judge my question is there anyone who could maybe tell me about their workday as a lawyer? I'm also looking broaden my horizons and get a better insight into the legal system
4 answers
Jerry Tingstad
Professor/middle school teacher/48 years
57
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
First of all, I am not a lawyer, thus I'm not involved in "typical days".
On the other hand, I understand enough to know this: There is no such thing as a "typical day" as there are so many different specialties lawyers get involved in. Plus working for a law firm? Private practice? Criminal? Civil? And then break them down.
Then to become a judge some day? Local? State? (Both of these are normally elected positions, hence political considerations.) And then there are different types of state and local courts. (!!) Federal is appointed. Again somewhat political as appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Background to catch the eye of perhaps a Senator who would recommend to the President? Clerk for a federal judge is normally helpful as one can accumulate inside information.
At any rate, there is much to think about. You state that you are "focusing". Well, there's much to focus on.
All the best.
On the other hand, I understand enough to know this: There is no such thing as a "typical day" as there are so many different specialties lawyers get involved in. Plus working for a law firm? Private practice? Criminal? Civil? And then break them down.
Then to become a judge some day? Local? State? (Both of these are normally elected positions, hence political considerations.) And then there are different types of state and local courts. (!!) Federal is appointed. Again somewhat political as appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Background to catch the eye of perhaps a Senator who would recommend to the President? Clerk for a federal judge is normally helpful as one can accumulate inside information.
At any rate, there is much to think about. You state that you are "focusing". Well, there's much to focus on.
All the best.
Emily Sealy
Attorney
5
Answers
Richmond, Virginia
Updated
Emily’s Answer
A typical work day will look different for litigators (attorneys who do court work) and non-litigators (attorneys who do things like manage other lawyers, review contracts, advise clients on complying with industry regulations, for example.) In litigation, a typical day is answering questions from clients (past and present) and giving advice to clients on old or pending matters, researching cases to use in your pending cases, supervising staff to make sure documents are prepared and filed, and appearing in court. You may work on long-term projects/one big case at a time or have to juggle many open cases with lots of deadlines. Lawyers also have to attend a certain number of hours of continuing education classes over the year. Lawyers in private practice are usually expected to bring in business, by networking and making contacts with businesses or other lawyers in the community and convincing them to hire the firm for legal work.
Judges are typically lawyers who have at least a few years of experience. Judges may hear multiple short cases a day or sit through days or weeks of one trial. Judges also have to do research (or have their staff do research on the most up-to-date court decisions and laws) and write opinions or orders.
Judges are typically lawyers who have at least a few years of experience. Judges may hear multiple short cases a day or sit through days or weeks of one trial. Judges also have to do research (or have their staff do research on the most up-to-date court decisions and laws) and write opinions or orders.
West Imboden
Litigation Attorney
12
Answers
Georgetown, Kentucky
Updated
West’s Answer
Hey Norris,
I've been an attorney for 4 or so years now. My first couple years I practiced for a private creditors rights firm in CA. The focus at that firm was consumer credit card collections for major banking institutions like Chase, Bank of America, Discover, etc. My day to day work was fairly busy. It was a high volume practice, and consisted of tons of document/pleading review, motion practice, and auditing (the banks were extremely strict with how we did things, and I had to manage a small team of attorneys to make sure things were done the way they wanted). I was in office maybe 3 to 4 days a week, and the other days I was in court conducting trials or scheduling conferences or the like. I had to fly up and down the state to attend hearings all over. It was fun, but busy. I became very damiliar with many courthouses and judges during this time. It was a neat experience.
The last couple years I've worked for the State of Tennessee practicing Healthcare law. This is also high volume work, and I'm in court about every other day. The difference here is that the work is entirely remote, and the hearings are in administrative courts where things tend to be more lax.
In both jobs I work(ed) 40-50 hours per week. Pretty good balance.
I think becoming a judge is a fantastic career goal. Keep in mind there are multiple ways to get there, and many different types of judges to be. The required qualifications also change state to state, so you may want to research that a bit.
For example, some states require a minimum of 7 or so years of practice to be a superior court (or equivalent) judge, and I know CA required 10 last I checked. You can be appointed or elected typically.
If being a judge is something you're interested in, I'd highly recommend 2 things.
1. As an attorney, try to get a job that gets you in the court room regularly. You need to be familiar with rules of civil procedure, rules of evidence, motion practice, and all aspects of trial. I personally learned much more being in the courtroom than I did from my studies in law school.
2. After practicing for a while, maybe consider a role as an administrative judge. These judges are hired, not elected or appointed. They have less power than "normal" judges, but they act in the same capacity. They rule on evidentiary issues, objections, control the flow of hearings, issue orders, etc. Stellar experience in my opinion.
Hope this rambling helps, and best of luck!
I've been an attorney for 4 or so years now. My first couple years I practiced for a private creditors rights firm in CA. The focus at that firm was consumer credit card collections for major banking institutions like Chase, Bank of America, Discover, etc. My day to day work was fairly busy. It was a high volume practice, and consisted of tons of document/pleading review, motion practice, and auditing (the banks were extremely strict with how we did things, and I had to manage a small team of attorneys to make sure things were done the way they wanted). I was in office maybe 3 to 4 days a week, and the other days I was in court conducting trials or scheduling conferences or the like. I had to fly up and down the state to attend hearings all over. It was fun, but busy. I became very damiliar with many courthouses and judges during this time. It was a neat experience.
The last couple years I've worked for the State of Tennessee practicing Healthcare law. This is also high volume work, and I'm in court about every other day. The difference here is that the work is entirely remote, and the hearings are in administrative courts where things tend to be more lax.
In both jobs I work(ed) 40-50 hours per week. Pretty good balance.
I think becoming a judge is a fantastic career goal. Keep in mind there are multiple ways to get there, and many different types of judges to be. The required qualifications also change state to state, so you may want to research that a bit.
For example, some states require a minimum of 7 or so years of practice to be a superior court (or equivalent) judge, and I know CA required 10 last I checked. You can be appointed or elected typically.
If being a judge is something you're interested in, I'd highly recommend 2 things.
1. As an attorney, try to get a job that gets you in the court room regularly. You need to be familiar with rules of civil procedure, rules of evidence, motion practice, and all aspects of trial. I personally learned much more being in the courtroom than I did from my studies in law school.
2. After practicing for a while, maybe consider a role as an administrative judge. These judges are hired, not elected or appointed. They have less power than "normal" judges, but they act in the same capacity. They rule on evidentiary issues, objections, control the flow of hearings, issue orders, etc. Stellar experience in my opinion.
Hope this rambling helps, and best of luck!
Peter Z.
Tech Lawyer
1
Answer
New York, New York
Updated
Peter’s Answer
Hi Norris,
I am an in-house technology lawyer. As an in-house lawyer, my client is the organization/company that I work for. My workday varies quite a bit, but here are some examples of how I spend a typical day as an in-house tech lawyer:
1. Working closely with business leaders to provide guidance on legal issues related to technology. Business leaders are constantly kicking off new projects for our clients. At the start of these projects, the business leaders will reach out for my advice and guidance on legal issues and risks that they should be aware of. As an example, a business team may be planning to build an software for our client that will help improve our client's business in some way. The business team will explain the proposal to me, and I will start asking questions and probing the team to proactively identify areas that the business team may want to address within the project plan. Examples of areas of discussion include data privacy, intellectual property, and regulatory topics. The goal is always to support the business team while also protecting the broader organization.
2. Proactively anticipating new legal trends and providing strategic advice to the business in order to stay ahead of a changing legal and regulatory landscape and guide the business as it expands its services and offerings. This involves staying close to new trends and developments, through research or networking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to the business. This sometimes involves launching and leading new projects or initiatives, where I may be working collaboratively with other teams, overseeing other lawyers, and driving a new project from start to finish. This involves the ability to stay organized, plan, and work collaboratively with other professionals. This also may involve reporting to business leadership, including by preparing written reports or by attending meetings where you present updates orally. This also may involve helping to develop new policies or guidelines.
3. Drafting and negotiating customer contracts. For each project, we will enter into contracts with our customers. These contracts essentially lay out the ‘rules’ and expectations between our organizations going forward. We specify who will be responsible for which tasks, who will own the work product, the amount of payment. My role will be to both help make sure the contract is drafted in a way that protects the company and accurately reflects the expectations of the business with respect to the planned project. This involves careful reading and clear writing. I will also speak with the client’s lawyer to explain why we’ve included certain language and to help clarify our intentions. This involves clear communication and a positive, collaborative mindset.
4. Collaborating and working with other lawyers and professionals on all of the above. The job of an in-house lawyer is highly collaborative and virtually all projects involve elements of teamwork.
5. Training other lawyers or business team members on legal topics. This could involve a presentation, drafting training materials, or working one on one.
6. Writing articles and attending conferences on new and emerging legal topics that relate to my area of expertise.
Wishing you the best of luck!
I am an in-house technology lawyer. As an in-house lawyer, my client is the organization/company that I work for. My workday varies quite a bit, but here are some examples of how I spend a typical day as an in-house tech lawyer:
1. Working closely with business leaders to provide guidance on legal issues related to technology. Business leaders are constantly kicking off new projects for our clients. At the start of these projects, the business leaders will reach out for my advice and guidance on legal issues and risks that they should be aware of. As an example, a business team may be planning to build an software for our client that will help improve our client's business in some way. The business team will explain the proposal to me, and I will start asking questions and probing the team to proactively identify areas that the business team may want to address within the project plan. Examples of areas of discussion include data privacy, intellectual property, and regulatory topics. The goal is always to support the business team while also protecting the broader organization.
2. Proactively anticipating new legal trends and providing strategic advice to the business in order to stay ahead of a changing legal and regulatory landscape and guide the business as it expands its services and offerings. This involves staying close to new trends and developments, through research or networking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to the business. This sometimes involves launching and leading new projects or initiatives, where I may be working collaboratively with other teams, overseeing other lawyers, and driving a new project from start to finish. This involves the ability to stay organized, plan, and work collaboratively with other professionals. This also may involve reporting to business leadership, including by preparing written reports or by attending meetings where you present updates orally. This also may involve helping to develop new policies or guidelines.
3. Drafting and negotiating customer contracts. For each project, we will enter into contracts with our customers. These contracts essentially lay out the ‘rules’ and expectations between our organizations going forward. We specify who will be responsible for which tasks, who will own the work product, the amount of payment. My role will be to both help make sure the contract is drafted in a way that protects the company and accurately reflects the expectations of the business with respect to the planned project. This involves careful reading and clear writing. I will also speak with the client’s lawyer to explain why we’ve included certain language and to help clarify our intentions. This involves clear communication and a positive, collaborative mindset.
4. Collaborating and working with other lawyers and professionals on all of the above. The job of an in-house lawyer is highly collaborative and virtually all projects involve elements of teamwork.
5. Training other lawyers or business team members on legal topics. This could involve a presentation, drafting training materials, or working one on one.
6. Writing articles and attending conferences on new and emerging legal topics that relate to my area of expertise.
Wishing you the best of luck!
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