This is a difficult question to answer. Some people claim that they knew they
wanted to be a lawyer since they were quite young, but most struggled with this
decision up until the time they appli d to law school. In fact, many law students and
even recent graduates are still unsure of the answer to this question.
While it is impossible to know for certain the answer to the question "Do I Want
To Be A Lawyer?" before entering law school, there is some value in talking with
practicing lawyers, attending criminal and civil trials, attending law school classes
or even working as a messenger at a law firm. The value of these activities is in
gaining some insight into what a lawyer does; however, it will be somewhat of a
superficial view of the legal profession, highlighting the excitement and overlooking
the real complexity, difficulty and demands of the job. Television shows dealing
with lawyers have perfected this superficial view of the legal pr fession.
One's decision-making process can also be skewed by the difficulty of defining
what a lawyer does on a day-to-day basis. There is no "typical lawyer." The legal
profession today has embraced specialization to a significant extent. There are
ifferences in workload, client contact, work environment, compensation and overall
quality of life, depending upon whether one specializes in criminal law, family law,
personal injury or defective product litigation, trust and estate law, business transac
ions and litigation, tax law, employment or labor law, environmental law, patent and
trademark law, civil rights litigation, or in other specialized areas. There are many
"professions" within the profession of law.
The only meaningful way of determi ing whether you may want to be a lawyer is
to look at the type of skills that a person must develop and ultimately become
proficient at in order to be a competent lawyer in any area. Even though there are
significant differences in the various practice ar as of law, the essential skills
required of any lawyer are very much the same.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1.Do I enjoy working closely with people regarding significant events or issues affecting their lives?
Lawyers invariably are involved in galvanizing events in the lives of
people. This involvement may occur in a face-to-face setting or through
less intimate contacts involving legal documents. You will need to be
comfortable and secure with the realization that your advice, counsel
and actions will have a significant impact on the lives of your clients.
2.Can I empathize with a client's situation, yet have the
ability to objectively analyze the issues and their consequences in
light of the existing law?
The main task of a lawyer is to solve a client's problem. People come to a
lawyer for help in solving their problems. A lawyer must be able to
empathize in order to properly understand the needs and concerns of his or
her client, but a lawyer must develop objective, analytical skills to identify
the potential legal issues that must be addressed and then to formulate a plan
to reach a result that is consistent with the desires of the client as well as
the requirements of the law.
3.Do I enjoy educating or teaching a person about a
subject about which he or she may be ignorant or have significant
misconceptions?
We live in a very complex society which has required the development of
very far-reaching, technical laws. Understandably, most clients are either
wholly uninformed about the existing law or have signifi ant
misunderstandings of what the law prohibits or requires. A lawyer must be
able to educate competently his or her clients. This teaching task is
complicated by the fact that the "student" has a direct interest in the subject
area. The degree of compre ension will be affected by the client's vested
interest, an unwillingness to hear the bad news, a strong disagreement about
the goals of the law, etc. The need to educate is critical, though, so that a
client can make an informed choice about how to proced. Tact is required
in telling a prospective client that his or her view of the applicable rules is
wrong.
4.Am I able to articulate in a clear and concise manner
my analysis of a problem to others, whether it be verbally or in
writing?
Two vital skills of a lawyer are the ability to speak and write in a clear,
articulate manner. Since a lawyer's job is to solve problems, the key to
success is the ability to convince others of the correctness of one's analysis
of the factual problem, the requirements of the law, and the best result that
can be reached for all concerned parties. A lawyer must be able to educate
and convince his or her clients, other lawyers, juries, judges or mediators.
He or she must have the ability to perform this task equally w ll by speaking
or writing. One may be a genius, but it will be to no avail if others can not
understand what he or she is saying. The skill and art of verbal
communication is an important key to success of becoming a competent
lawyer.
5.Do I enjoy being an advocate? Can I argue both sides of the question with enthusiasm?
A lawyer's personal satisfaction must come from helping others achieve a
desired result or avoid or ameliorate the consequences of a difficult
situation. A lawyer must provide th client with sufficient information
concerning all possible alternatives to allow the client to make an informed
decision. Ultimately, the client must decide what is best for himself or
herself. The lawyer must be able to accept and advance the client's decision,
even if he or she would not have personally chosen the particular course of
action, so long as the attorney stays within the ethical parameters of the
Code of Professional Responsibility. Whether one is writing a will,
negotiating a contract, litagating a lawsuit, or settling a divorce, a lawyer is
advocating the personal needs, desires, and goals of the client. One need not
be flamboyant or overreaching to be an excellent lawyer, only capable of
persuasively articulating concrete positions.
6.Do I like detail work? Do I enjoy searching for the facts of a situation?
The practice of law is a jungle filled with pockets of quicksand for the
sloppy, lazy lawyer. The law has made great strides in eliminating
unnecessary requirements of form to allow cases to be resolved on the
merits rather than by one's ability or failure to follow rules of procedure.
However, rules of form, practice and procedure are necessary for the
orderly conduct of business within the law. A lawyer must pay strict att
ntion to facts and detail, for detail work is a significant aspect of the practice
of law.
7.Do I like to read and study?
A lawyer never stops reading the law. From the day one enters law school
until the last day before retirement, a lawyer must keep abreast of the
ever-changing law. Whether it be statutes, agency rules and regulations, or
court decisions, a lawyer may never assume the law remains static. Each
and every competent lawyer must dedicate a significant number of hours on
a regular bas s to educating himself or herself. This study time may be
added on top of the many hours spent in the law library completing legal
research on very specific issues of law pertaining to particular cases.
Conclusion
How many questions did you answer yes? Did you enthusiastically say yes or were
you thinking, "If I have to do it, I will?" To be a competent lawyer, it is not
necessary that you have all of these skills now nor that you have presently
developed them to a high degree. You will have plenty of time to do that. Utilizing
these types of skills on a weekly, daily or hourly basis is, however, the "life" of a
lawyer.
Television dramas portraying attorneys are correct on one point. The practice of
law is exciting, meaningful, and rewarding. You will have the ability to beneficially
and significantly affect the lives of many people throughout your career. You will
be exposed to a variety of people, events, and areas of knowledge that you might
not otherwise have experienced wit in the confines of your own personal life. The
practice of law is a broadening and educational experience. However, the practice
of law is not for the lethargic, the lazy or the clock watcher. It is an ongoing,
never-ending, demanding life experience. As is true in any area of life, whether
you are in medicine, science, education or in law, your attitude towards life and
your work is all important. In simple words, you should be one who truly enjoys
learning and who strives to do all that you can with your work.