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what do lawyers really do?
I'd love to see some informational interview material. Can you show me what I would learn from an informational interview from different types of lawyers?
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Andy’s Answer
There are many different types of law that a lawyer can practice. However, the two things that almost all lawyers do are: communicate and solve problems. Lawyers need to be effective verbal and written communicators and need to understand the problems their clients have so they may assist in solving them.
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Damion’s Answer
Here's another useful resource for getting a general idea of what different types of lawyers do!
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/careers/what-does-an-attorney-do
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/careers/what-does-an-attorney-do
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Amber’s Answer
Hi Julie,
That's a really broad question because there are many different types of lawyers and "what they really do" would depend on the kind of law they practice. Broadly speaking, attorneys are split into two buckets--litigators and transactional attorneys--and their day-to-day vary depending on which bucket they fall into. So if you're going to have an informational interview with a litigator, you will likely ask questions about their experience in trial or appellate practice, what it's like to represent clients in court, how did they end up in their specific practice area (e.g., criminal law, family law, etc.). On the other hand, if you're speaking with a transactional attorney, you'll probably ask questions about the types of transactions they help facilitate (e.g., mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property licensing, real estate transactions, etc.) and perhaps what those processes entail.
You can think of lawyers as risk managers and problem solvers, regardless of what type of law they practice in. They help clients identify or anticipate issues before they actually arise, and they also help clients solve problems when things do unfortunately go awry. Informational interview is a great way for your to learn about the different career pathways that are available within the legal profession, so I would encourage you to do that if you have the opportunity to do so.
That's a really broad question because there are many different types of lawyers and "what they really do" would depend on the kind of law they practice. Broadly speaking, attorneys are split into two buckets--litigators and transactional attorneys--and their day-to-day vary depending on which bucket they fall into. So if you're going to have an informational interview with a litigator, you will likely ask questions about their experience in trial or appellate practice, what it's like to represent clients in court, how did they end up in their specific practice area (e.g., criminal law, family law, etc.). On the other hand, if you're speaking with a transactional attorney, you'll probably ask questions about the types of transactions they help facilitate (e.g., mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property licensing, real estate transactions, etc.) and perhaps what those processes entail.
You can think of lawyers as risk managers and problem solvers, regardless of what type of law they practice in. They help clients identify or anticipate issues before they actually arise, and they also help clients solve problems when things do unfortunately go awry. Informational interview is a great way for your to learn about the different career pathways that are available within the legal profession, so I would encourage you to do that if you have the opportunity to do so.
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Cristina’s Answer
A lawyer needs to understand the facts of a case. Whether the person is innocent or not doesn't matter. The main job is to prove innocence or reduce the sentence.