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What is the life of a lawyer like?

Specific details and qualifications for each. Pay, hours, mindset, traits, family life, degrees.

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DENNIS’s Answer

Hi Marreen: Interesting question! A great deal depends on the area of law you choose to practice - some pay more, some less. The field also dictates the hours. Many lawyers opt to work for companies that work them 9-5. Others demand a great deal of attention to many items that require long hours. In New York - where I practiced - there are different types of firms that handle different issues. Tax lawyers are slammed this time of year. Trial lawyer - like me - had to put in long hours when I was on trial - which was often. So the money and hours will depend on the field you elect to enter. Next is family life. I raised 2 kids and coached baseball and soccer for the kids. Went to most of their games until high school when it was no longer practable to do. Mind set is a hard one. Some cases you love some you hate. However, when you have a client you do your very best for everyone of them - love it or hate it! As to degrees - you need to get a college degree than a law degree then pass the Bar Exam. California - like New York - has a very hard Bar Exam. Tough test.
I love being a lawyer. I get to fight for people I care about. It stinks when you lose but it is great when you win! I wouldn't change it for anything. However, it is not for everyone. Some lawyers hate it because it is so demanding. Good luck. Remember, it's the journey to get to a profession that should be fun!
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Stefanie’s Answer

Hi Maureen -- good question! The field of law is very broad, so there are different types of law that might attract different types of people with different interests. For example, there are trial lawyers/litigators who go to court, and there are corporate lawyers who might spend most of their time reviewing and writing contracts. Overall, I'd say you have to enjoy and have skills in reading, writing and analyzing, and for certain types of law, you have to like to argue and to speak/present publicly. You also have to be ok with a lot of school :-) since you'll have to earn your 4 year college degree, then 3 years of law school. Pay varies, too, depending on the job-- there are government and certain legal/social services organizations that might not pay as well as some big law firms and corporate jobs. In law firms, you tend to earn more money in the bigger firms, in bigger cities, and you might only have a long career there if you bring in clients and become a partner.

Personally, I took some time between college and law school to work in the legal field and see if it was right for me (and to earn some money before going to law school). I worked as a paralegal in a law firm and also at a Prosecutor's office, which was a great experience. Then I went to law school and my first job out of law school, I worked in a big firm. After I had my children, I realized that the long law firm hours were not a good fit for me for work/life balance, and I moved to an in-house Corporate job -- where I found I had a lot more balance in my life (and, also, as it turned out, the pay was significantly more than at my firm). Law firms are great places to start your career - you learn a lot and get great experience - and you have time to learn what other legal careers are out there and might interest you.

Hope that helps!
Good luck!!
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