how to be a lawyer and do work on the side

by Lina Gutkowski 9 min read

As an attorney, your most obvious and lucrative side-hustle assets are your education, skills, and experience as a lawyer. So, consider looking for ways to take on additional legal work in your field. Before taking on extra legal work as a side hustle, ensure there are no conflicts with your current role and that you’re properly insured.

To help guide you, we've rounded up six types of side hustles for lawyers.
  1. Additional legal work. ...
  2. Educational instruction. ...
  3. Legal writing and research. ...
  4. Transcription. ...
  5. Writing an eBook. ...
  6. Low barrier of entry side hustles.
Oct 4, 2021

Full Answer

How can a lawyer make money on the side?

Side hustles for lawyersStart a niche business.Become a virtual assistant for a law firm. ... Create a legal blog. ... Write grants. ... Be a business or life coach. ... Become a public speaker. ... Legal writing. ... Create ebooks or audiobooks. ... More items...•Nov 1, 2021

Can lawyers second job?

Whether it's grilling hot dogs or kneading pizza, lawyers often work extra jobs because it's a financial necessity. Law school debts, starting a new practice, new baby on the way ... Non-profit lawyers, district attorneys, and public defenders, for example, routinely take second jobs to make ends meet.Apr 27, 2017

How can I make a lot of money with a law degree?

These are some of the most highly compensated legal jobs.Trial Lawyers. Trial lawyers are among the highest paid legal professionals in the world. ... Intellectual Property Lawyers. ... Tax Attorneys. ... Real Estate Attorneys. ... Judges. ... Members of Congress. ... Law School Professor. ... Litigation Support Director.More items...•Dec 21, 2018

What job is close to being a lawyer?

A paralegal is a non-lawyer who works with attorneys to assist in various tasks. Paralegals may end up performing a lot of tasks similar to those of an attorney, including interviewing clients, performing investigations and research, drafting legal documents, writing briefs, and preparing pleadings and correspondence.Dec 24, 2019

What side business can a lawyer do?

I've known lawyers who had side businesses as personal trainers, artists, screenwriters, musicians, writers, and refurbishing antique furniture.

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Medical Attorneys Medical lawyers are among the highest-paid types of lawyers and earn one of the highest median salaries in the legal field.

What type of lawyer makes the most?

Types Of Lawyers That Make The Most MoneyMedical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.Dec 18, 2020

What jobs will make you rich?

Top 10 Jobs That Make You RichDoctor. Average salary: $189,760. ... Surgeon. Average salary: $352,220. ... Investment Banker. Average salary: $130,230. ... Corporate Executive. Average salary: $173,320. ... Petroleum Engineer. Average salary: $147,520. ... Psychiatrist. Average salary: $181,880. ... Data Scientist. ... Research & Development Manager.More items...

What are the 7 types of laws?

CLASSIFICATIONS OF LAWPublic and Private Law.Civil Law and Criminal Law.Substantive and Procedural Law.Municipal and International Law.Written and Unwritten Law.Common Law and Equity.Mar 11, 2016

Which field is best for lawyer?

Highest Paying Fields of LawLaw Firms/Corporate Counsel. Of course, law firms would come to this list. ... Litigation/Trial Advocates. ... Judicial Services/Civil Services. ... Academia/Professor of Law. ... Specializations- Cyber Law, Banking Law, Intellectual Property Law, etc. ... Judicial Clerkship.Jan 7, 2019

What type of law is least stressful?

However, there are many sectors of law which are less stressful:Real estate law.Intellectual property law.High Street family law.Government lawyers.Working In-House.Jul 9, 2021

How profitable is it to make an app for legal professionals?

Producing a mobile app targeted at legal professionals can be surprisingly profitable if you know how to market it. A top-selling app on iTunes or Google Play can potentially net millions. You can hire a developer on Elance or Upwork at an affordable rate if you don’t have any existing programming skills.

Is podcasting a business?

Nowadays, podcasting is serious business and podcasters with die-hard followings can benefit via advertisements and endorsements. Starting a podcast is easy since all you need is a mic, a laptop and a little opensource editing software. Though it may take some time to build a passionate audience, podcasts are simple to monetize.

When do law firms hire summer associates?

Law firms usually hire summer associates at the beginning of the second year —at this point, only grades from your first year will be available. The type of jobs available to you as a student—and after graduation—will be heavily dependent on your grades from 1L. Your grades are mostly dependent on your exam performance.

How long does it take to get a law degree?

It'll take you three years to earn your law school degree. If you want one to find success after graduation—no matter what type of law you hope to go into—you've got to do well in law school. The way students are graded here is very different from how they're graded in college.

What is MPRE in law school?

While you're in law school, you may have to take the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination), which is required for admission to the bars of most states. The examination is meant to test students' knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer's professional conduct.

Is it easier to become a lawyer at a top law school?

If you end up at a well-ranked school, the following steps you'll have to take to become a lawyer will be that much easier. Like I mentioned earlier, students at top-15 law schools have a much easier time finding a job than students at lower-ranked schools. The better your undergraduate program, the better your chances of getting into one of these top law schools.

Do I need to go to law school to become a lawyer?

The American Bar Association (ABA) doesn't recommend any specific major or discipline for students who hope to become lawyers. Some schools have pre-law programs, but (as I've mentioned) they're rare and not necessary in order to get into a great law school.

What are some ways to boost your college application?

Extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and leadership experience all help boost your college applications. Some activities might double as a way to get a feel for the legal profession. Check out these posts for more information on these activities:

How many times a year is the LSAT administered?

The test is administered only four times a year - usually in February, June, September, and December—so plan on registering months in advance. The latest you can take the LSAT for Fall admission is December of the previous year, although it's best to take it earlier (aim for June or September).

What do lawyers do?

Lawyers often take on additional work beyond the boundaries of their practices . It’s common to see lawyers leveraging their expertise by teaching classes or consulting, and many engage in complementary endeavors such as selling title insurance or providing financial planning services.

What did Todd Graves learn?

Graves might be in a client meeting, attending a conference or in the middle of a murder trial, but if a gate gives way on his family farm, his herd is liable to head out. This means Graves has to go, too, and bring them all home—ho pefully before they make it to the river.

Who is Jenny Davis?

Jenny B. Davis, a former practicing lawyer, is a freelance writer based in Fort Worth, Texas. This article was published in the May 2018 issue of the ABA Journal with the title "Side Hustle: These lawyers balance a full-time practice and a for-pay side project.". Give us feedback, share a story tip or update, or report an error.

Is a lawyer ethical?

Regardless of how lucrative or fulfilling a side job can be, lawyers are obligated to ensure what they’re engaging in is also ethical under the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and state ethics rules. This can be a pretty easy call if what a lawyer is doing is legal.

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Educational Instruction

  • Do you have a lot of valuableadvice for new lawyersor law students? Are there things that you wish you were taught in law school that you can pass onto the next generation of lawyers? Do you have experience or interest in teaching? If so, sharing your knowledge can be a rewarding side h…
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Legal Writing and Research

  • If you have a talent and interest in legal writing or legal research, you can translate those skills into extra income. Suppose you’re adept at powerful, persuasive legal writing. In that case, you could write legal articles for legal publications, potentially government institutions, or even companies looking for legal content writing (like the Clio blog). Similarly, if you’re great at condu…
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Transcription

  • As a lawyer, your training and experience writing legal documents make you uniquely equipped to efficiently and effectively transcribe audio into well-written legal documents. These legal documents include legal pleadings, motions, or videoconferenced depositions and interviews. Again, online platforms can take the work out of finding side hustle gigs: companies like Speak…
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Writing An Ebook

  • If you enjoy writing and you have unique knowledge that may be interesting or helpful to other legal professionals, writing an eBook is a way to monetize your experience while building your brand as a legal professional. Why an eBook versus traditional print publishing? With an eBook, you can self-publishdirectly to Amazon’s Kindle marketplace for free—which means a quick turn…
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Low Barrier of Entry Side Hustles

  • Not all side hustles have to be in the legal industry. A side hustle that’s unrelated to the legal space could be a welcome distraction from your regular legal work. While side hustles that don’t require specialized training pay less generally, they can motivate you to take breaks from the stress of legal work. Look at the non-lawyer tasks that you enjoy. Then, see if there’s a way you c…
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Effort vs. Results

  • While you’re considering your lawyer side hustle options, ensure that the level of time, effort, and personal interest required match your capacity. Consider what’s worth your time and what you’re interested in. For example, writing an eBook on a legal topic requires lots of time and effort. However, taking on occasional legal transcription work on the weekend is a smaller commitmen…
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A Lawyer Side Hustle Can Have Multiple Benefits

  • From paying off student loans with extra income to building your brand by selling an eBook or course materials, there are many reasons why you may want to test out the gig economy with a lawyer side hustle. Before taking on the extra work of a side hustle, ensure you can put more work on your plate. If money is your primary motivation, it’s a good idea to ensure you’ve maximized t…
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