4 answers
Nadia
Student
Gainesville, Florida
1
Question
Updated
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How do you decide what type of law you want to practice?
I am thinking about child protective law, but I know that the field is difficult.
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4 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1085
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Nadia,
How old are you? If you are still in high-school or even in undergrad, you don't need to worry about different fields of law yet.
On the path to become a lawyer you first need to earn a bachelors degree in any field. Many students take political science but it's not mandatory. Any program that is writing and speaking intensive and develops your logical thinking skills can be a good fit.
You then take the LSAT and apply to law school. You'll learn about all kind of areas of the law during law school, and as you move along it will become clear to you where your main interests are.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
How old are you? If you are still in high-school or even in undergrad, you don't need to worry about different fields of law yet.
On the path to become a lawyer you first need to earn a bachelors degree in any field. Many students take political science but it's not mandatory. Any program that is writing and speaking intensive and develops your logical thinking skills can be a good fit.
You then take the LSAT and apply to law school. You'll learn about all kind of areas of the law during law school, and as you move along it will become clear to you where your main interests are.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
I am in the first year of my undergraduate degree. I will achieve a bachelor’s degree and I have been looking at LSAT resources. I’ll be sure to just take things as they go, thank you!
Teri Karobonik
Lawyer
1
Answer
Mountain View, California
Updated
Teri’s Answer
I always kind of knew I wanted to go to law school. I liked the idea of fairness and using my language skills to make people’s lives better in a direct way. But how did I find my way to Product Counsel? Well, that’s an interesting story.
Tip 1: Read, read, read!
One summer, I was working for a lawyer while studying for the LSATs. I was starting to rethink my decision to go to law school…I hated the LSATs, and corporate law wasn’t really clicking for me.
Then the lawyer went on vacation and graciously paid me to mind the phones and read from his legal library. That’s when I stumbled upon the Statute of Anne. It is one of the first copyright laws, which shifted power from the Crown to the publishers in England. I was obsessed!
As a creative writing major with a focus on British literature, I was fascinated by how law could make speech freer. I dove deep, reading, watching, and listening to everything I could find on copyright law.
Tip 2: Network!
Once I got to law school, I didn’t just study. I networked. Copyright events? I was there. Informational interviews with copyright attorneys? All the time. By graduation, I had earned the nickname “Copyright Girl.”
But I also kept an open mind. During my 2L summer internship at the EFF, I attended a networking event with the team at Twitter. That’s where I first learned about Product Counsel. I remember thinking, “That’s cool—maybe not full-time copyright lawyer cool—but still pretty cool.”
Tip 3: Don’t be afraid to pivot!
In office hours for my Internet Law class with the absolutely amazing Professor Goldman, I asked about something course-related. Eventually our conversation turned to careers. I deflated when he told me how few “copyright-only” jobs existed in Silicon Valley. Unless I wanted to practice entertainment law in LA or NYC, I’d need to broaden my horizons.
Since I already liked Internet law, he encouraged me to explore related areas like privacy and that advice changed everything.
Tip 4: Try it out!
My first paid job out of law school was at New Media Rights, where I got to try a bit of everything: legal academia, policy work, and direct client representation. I quickly discovered what I loved (helping clients turn ideas into reality) and what I didn’t (the pressure to publish).
That clarity ultimately led me to become a Product Counsel.
Tip 5: Remember—your career is a marathon.
As a law student, choosing a specialty can feel high-stakes, like an indelible tattoo that defines you forever. But the truth is, careers evolve.
Even within product counseling, I’ve learned so many different areas of law. I’ve also watched my colleagues grow in all kinds of directions—becoming GCs, PMs, academics, and even novelists!
Your career will evolve, and it’s okay not to have it all figured out at once.
Tip 1: Read, read, read!
One summer, I was working for a lawyer while studying for the LSATs. I was starting to rethink my decision to go to law school…I hated the LSATs, and corporate law wasn’t really clicking for me.
Then the lawyer went on vacation and graciously paid me to mind the phones and read from his legal library. That’s when I stumbled upon the Statute of Anne. It is one of the first copyright laws, which shifted power from the Crown to the publishers in England. I was obsessed!
As a creative writing major with a focus on British literature, I was fascinated by how law could make speech freer. I dove deep, reading, watching, and listening to everything I could find on copyright law.
Tip 2: Network!
Once I got to law school, I didn’t just study. I networked. Copyright events? I was there. Informational interviews with copyright attorneys? All the time. By graduation, I had earned the nickname “Copyright Girl.”
But I also kept an open mind. During my 2L summer internship at the EFF, I attended a networking event with the team at Twitter. That’s where I first learned about Product Counsel. I remember thinking, “That’s cool—maybe not full-time copyright lawyer cool—but still pretty cool.”
Tip 3: Don’t be afraid to pivot!
In office hours for my Internet Law class with the absolutely amazing Professor Goldman, I asked about something course-related. Eventually our conversation turned to careers. I deflated when he told me how few “copyright-only” jobs existed in Silicon Valley. Unless I wanted to practice entertainment law in LA or NYC, I’d need to broaden my horizons.
Since I already liked Internet law, he encouraged me to explore related areas like privacy and that advice changed everything.
Tip 4: Try it out!
My first paid job out of law school was at New Media Rights, where I got to try a bit of everything: legal academia, policy work, and direct client representation. I quickly discovered what I loved (helping clients turn ideas into reality) and what I didn’t (the pressure to publish).
That clarity ultimately led me to become a Product Counsel.
Tip 5: Remember—your career is a marathon.
As a law student, choosing a specialty can feel high-stakes, like an indelible tattoo that defines you forever. But the truth is, careers evolve.
Even within product counseling, I’ve learned so many different areas of law. I’ve also watched my colleagues grow in all kinds of directions—becoming GCs, PMs, academics, and even novelists!
Your career will evolve, and it’s okay not to have it all figured out at once.
Ilan Marouani, Esq., LL.M.
Tax Attorney
14
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Ilan’s Answer
Hi Nadia,
I would say that the best way to know what type of law you want to practice is to actually experience it. I was 1000% sure I wanted to go litigation. I liked to argue, I loved to write, and I believed myself to be a good speaker. So I thought, I want and need to be in court. However, once I started my first internship in litigation, I realized how slow the process was, how much paperwork there was to it, and that even if I did get a chance to go to court, it would be a brief litigation as most parties settle before setting foot there.
The field you are thinking of is a noble and important one for sure. But I think that what we think we want to do, and what the work is actually like might be two different worlds.
I would strongly advise you to at least try an internship in that field, even if it is not with the right firm, just to have a feel of what is the day-to-day attorney's responsibilities and cases look like.
It is for sure not going to give you the entire image of what it is going to be like after you graduate law school, but it is for sure a good start to it.
Good luck!!
I would say that the best way to know what type of law you want to practice is to actually experience it. I was 1000% sure I wanted to go litigation. I liked to argue, I loved to write, and I believed myself to be a good speaker. So I thought, I want and need to be in court. However, once I started my first internship in litigation, I realized how slow the process was, how much paperwork there was to it, and that even if I did get a chance to go to court, it would be a brief litigation as most parties settle before setting foot there.
The field you are thinking of is a noble and important one for sure. But I think that what we think we want to do, and what the work is actually like might be two different worlds.
I would strongly advise you to at least try an internship in that field, even if it is not with the right firm, just to have a feel of what is the day-to-day attorney's responsibilities and cases look like.
It is for sure not going to give you the entire image of what it is going to be like after you graduate law school, but it is for sure a good start to it.
Good luck!!
DENNIS BREEN
Lawyer
224
Answers
Cary, North Carolina
Updated
DENNIS’s Answer
Nadia: As strange as this may sound - the field picks you! I have a Master's Degree in Teaching and when I went to law school I wanted to work to help teachers. I wound up being a Civil Trial lawer for 40+ years.
At this point I'd recommend you just be a kid. Have fun. Take courses you like. Lawyers come in all shapes and sizes. The most important trait is you like yourself first. When clients come in they hire you for your brain and heart. They want you to fully believe in their case. You have to be open minded and always curious.
Helping kids is a great goal. However it gets emotionally draining. Some people simply can not handle the stress. That is why I suggested you like yourself first - the stress can get to you.
So go out and be a kid. Enjoy yourself! You are already on the right tract - caring about kids and thinking about your future. Well done and good luck!
At this point I'd recommend you just be a kid. Have fun. Take courses you like. Lawyers come in all shapes and sizes. The most important trait is you like yourself first. When clients come in they hire you for your brain and heart. They want you to fully believe in their case. You have to be open minded and always curious.
Helping kids is a great goal. However it gets emotionally draining. Some people simply can not handle the stress. That is why I suggested you like yourself first - the stress can get to you.
So go out and be a kid. Enjoy yourself! You are already on the right tract - caring about kids and thinking about your future. Well done and good luck!