how to be a lawyer reddit

by Fausto Conroy Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 10 min read

What are the worst things about being a lawyer?

You get your 4 year degree. You take the LSAT, apply to Law School and get accepted. You graduate Law School and take the BAR exam in your state. You pass and become licensed to practice law. Then you open your own practice or get hired by a firm and you are a lawyer. There's nothing secret or magical about it.

Is being a lawyer worth it?

Learn to sing. Do karaoke. You can not stutter when you are singing and doing it in front of strangers will make you more comfortable in front of an audience in general. 1. level 1. JudgeHoltman. · 6 days ago. Super Helper [9] Reading is like, 90% of what Lawyers do.

Is being a lawyer a good job?

I am a high school graduate soon-to-be freshman in college this August. I feel pretty decided that I want to go to law school and become an attorney some day, but I am unsure as to what kind of lawyer. I am considering majoring in either History or …

What being a lawyer is really like?

level 1. couchst. · 8y. Go to college, get good grades, then revisit the question in four years. If you have any inclination to being a lawyer, there's nothing that you can do between now and then, except getting good grades, that will matter. 11.

Why you shouldn't be a lawyer?

The Stress. Deadlines, billing pressures, client demands, long hours, changing laws, and other demands all combine to make the practice of law one of the most stressful jobs out there. Throw in rising business pressures, evolving legal technologies, and climbing law school debt and it's no wonder lawyers are stressed.Nov 20, 2019

Is it hard to get a job as a lawyer?

It's easy to find a job as a lawyer, right? Not necessarily. Though the BLS predicts that growth in employment for lawyers will continue at six percent through 2024, that growth may not be enough to provide jobs for all the graduating law school students.Jun 2, 2017

Are lawyers miserable?

Yes. Repeated industry surveys confirm that lawyers, particularly young lawyers, are increasingly unhappy. More concerning are growing numbers of lawyers suffering from severe anxiety, depression, stress and substance abuse problems.

Is it depressing to be a lawyer?

The statistics are staggering: Lawyers are 3.6 times as likely to be depressed as people in other jobs, while the landmark 2016 American Bar Association and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation study found that 28 percent of licensed, employed lawyers suffer with depression.May 11, 2018

Is law a dying field?

Every now and then, or more often, we hear news about how the legal profession is dying. Whether it's robot lawyers, the apocalypse, or the robot lawyer apocalypse, you don't have to worry about the legal profession dying. The profession isn't going anywhere.Aug 24, 2018

Are doctors or lawyers richer?

However, on average, the data shows that doctors make more than lawyers. To the surprise of some, the reality is that the discrepancy is not even close. Specifically, the average doctor makes $208,000 per year, while the average lawyer makes $118,160.Apr 26, 2018

Are lawyers happy with their jobs?

Lawyers are one of the least happy careers in the United States. At CareerExplorer, we conduct an ongoing survey with millions of people and ask them how satisfied they are with their careers. As it turns out, lawyers rate their career happiness 2.6 out of 5 stars which puts them in the bottom 7% of careers.

Is law school a terrible idea?

Law school is not a bad idea for every student, but it certainly can be a bad idea for some students. If you have unreasonable expectations of what a lawyer's work entails, how much money you will make, or if you have the wrong reasons for wanting to attend, than law school can be a bad idea.

Why are lawyers so unhealthy and unhappy?

It stems from three causes: (1) Lawyers are selected for their pessimism (or "pru- dence") and this generalizes to the rest of their lives; (2) Young associates hold jobs that are characterized by high pressure and low decision latitude, exactly the condi- tions that promote poor health and poor morale; and (3) ...

What percent of lawyers are unhappy?

Recent research from the American Bar Association suggests that lawyers are really unhappy. Twenty-eight percent of lawyers experience mild or higher levels of depression, 19% experience anxiety, 23% experience chronic levels of stress, and 20.6% of participants struggle with problematic drinking.Aug 1, 2016

Are all lawyers stressed?

Lawyers Continue to Experience High Levels of Stress in 2021

Twenty-eight percent of lawyers struggle with depression; 19 percent struggle with anxiety. These statistics come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the demands of being a lawyer.

Is being a lawyer always stressful?

Lawyers face multiple stressors every day. In addition to the pressure of helping clients through important or difficult legal matters, they also have to stay on top of an ever-changing industry and manage heavy workloads. Here are a few key reasons why being a lawyer is so stressful.Jul 20, 2021

What to do when you think someone is liable?

In the practice of law, you’ll necessarily have to do things at odds when your personal set of values. Defend someone you think is liable. Sue someone you think isn’t. Cross-examine an honest person in a blatant attempt to make an upstanding, well-meaning person appear as they lack credibility.

How long does it take to get a job after graduating from law school?

Only about 55% or so of law school graduates get jobs as lawyers within 9 months of graduation (and this includes judicial clerks).

How many law students will land a job?

The entire legal profession is quite unhappy so it won't take long to dissuade you. A little over half to maybe 60% of graduating law students will land a legal job. Of those, about 10% or less land the "$160K/yr" type job, and the distribution is highly asymmetrical; the top ranked "T14" will take up about 1/2 to 2/3rds of those positions, the top tier schools following it will take about 1/4th, and the rest of these positions will be distributed to the top 5-10% of all other schools.

Is saturation a problem in law schools?

As /u/dont_wear_a_C said, saturation is the main issue. Law schools are pumping out 200+ lawyers a year, per school, and the rich, old lawyers aren't retiring that quickly. Unless you're in the Top 5 in your class, you're in trouble. I've got a couple friends that I would say have "made it" by this point, but they were the top 1 or 2 in their class, took very highly regarded clerkships and then went into practice for large firms. If you go straight from school into opening a firm, you'll get eaten alive. And good luck finding a job with a firm if you're one of the 195 nameless, mid-tier graduates. The firms don't have to hire anyone; people are graduating and are volunteering to work for free, so what's the point in hiring some kid fresh out of school that knows nothing (yet thinks they know it all)?

Is it impossible to be a good lawyer?

I’m entirely convinced from everything I’ve learned about the legal profession that being a good person and good lawyer may not be outright impossible, but it almost is.

Is being a lawyer easy?

Conclusion: Being a lawyer isn't as easy as Suits makes it out to be.

Is law school expensive?

Law School is astronomically expensive - the schools will brag about the six figure salaries their graduates make coming out of school, but that's a fallacy. Most students graduate with $100k+ in student loan debt - and that's from law school alone. If you've got loans from undergrad, add those on top.

Is law school smart?

Second, there's a pretty good chance you won't do all that great in law school. That doesn't mean you're not smart, but when it comes to law school being smart doesn't have much to do with it. Law school is a grind, and those that grind the hardest reap the rewards.

Is law a prestigious field?

Law is inherently a snobby, prestigious field and where get your degree from absolutely matters. Many people will tell you not to even bother attending law school if you don't go to a Tier 1 (top 50 ranked) law school, and I'm inclined to agree with that assessment.

Is it hard to get a job after the recession?

Unless you go to a top school, get a scholarship, or go to a regional school nearby a city where you have connections, it is very hard to get a job that allows you to pay back your student loans and still live a comfortable life. The market in the US is over saturated with lawyers especially after the last recession.

Should I go to law school without a scholarship?

That's why, outside of maybe a few law schools, you should absolutely not go to law school without some sort of scholarship. If you get a high enough LSAT you can get a free ride to many schools. Keep in mind that some schools (imo) are not worth going to even with a full ride. idk if I want to be a lawyer.

Can you catch fish without bait?

You cannot catch fish without bait in the water. You cannot get a job if you don't apply. Yes, firms say they want the top X%. My buddy, very much not in that top X%, is working his dream job because he applied and whoever was reviewing his resume went to the same undergrad.

Is Biglaw the only type of law?

Biglaw isn't the only type of law out there. Plenty of attorneys are content working in the legal field outside of it.