how to explain career of lawyer to elementary students

by Miss Maeve Hyatt 4 min read

Here are three tips we suggest when talking to your kids about your career:

  1. Break down your profession into simple language and examples. What is a lawyer? Someone who helps people fight using words so they don’t hit each other. ...
  2. Demonstrate that your profession isn’t only about money. Describe some of the ways you use your skills outside of a commercial setting to help people. ...
  3. Tell your story. How were you inspired to join your profession? What keeps you inspired? Tell vivid stories that help them relate to your path.

Full Answer

What kind of lawyer should I hire for high school students?

For example, go with a theme of traffic law and traffic court for high school students if your volunteer lawyer has experience or knowledge of the field. A general topic any lawyer can cover for younger students is the importance of laws to society.

What do kids learn about law in school?

Have students study a list of the fields of law, choose a specialty and fill out a basic job profile. Young children also enjoy learning about careers. Even kindergarteners are curious about what grown-ups do at work. A career day about lawyers for kindergarten students, for example, could feature parents who have a law degree.

What does a lawyer actually do?

Sometimes lawyers help parents adopt children from other countries so they can have loving homes and more opportunities. Or a lawyer might help bring someone to justice who has harmed an animal. This can feel pretty good. Usually, when a person is in legal trouble, the first person he calls is a lawyer to help him understand what happens next.

How do you introduce a volunteer lawyer to high school students?

For example, go with a theme of traffic law and traffic court for high school students if your volunteer lawyer has experience or knowledge of the field. A general topic any lawyer can cover for younger students is the importance of laws to society. Help them come up questions to ask a lawyer on career day.

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Why is it important to go to law school?

Because law practice is highly competitive, entering a well-regarded law school and doing well in law school are important, as a practical matter, in competing for good legal work after graduation. Above all, take time to enjoy your life as a youth, and then as a young adult. Life is not a race to the finish line.

Is law a good profession?

Law is a fine profession, often very challenging and stimulating, and it serves a valuable civic and economic function. To learn more about law practice, I would encourage you to talk at length with your aunt and anyone else you know who is a practicing attorney.

What is a lawyer?

Lawyers (also called attorneys) are advisors to clients who need legal counseling. They research, interview witnesses and inform the clients of their legal rights and obligations. They offer their opinion on how to handle legal situations. Lawyers can be trial attorneys representing one of the parties in civil and criminal cases.

Will there be competition for lawyers in 2017?

There will be stiff competition for individuals interested in pursuing careers as lawyers through the year 2017. The number of law school graduates is expected to continue to strain the economy's capacity to absorb them.

What is a lawyer?

A lawyer (also called an " advocate ", "attorney", "barrister", "counsel", "counsellor", or "solicitor") is someone who practices law. A lawyer has earned a degree in law, and has a license to practice law in a particular area.

What is a lawyer called?

Willem Eduard Bok, Jr. in his court dress. A lawyer (also called an " advocate ", "attorney", "barrister", "counsel", "counsellor", or "solicitor") is someone who practices law. A lawyer has earned a degree in law, and has a license to practice law in a particular area.

Why do lawyers help people settle out of court?

Lawyers also help people "settle out of court," which means that both sides of the argument agree to resolve the dispute ahead of time so that they will not have to go to trial. When a person is accused of a crime, the person has a defense lawyer to try to show they have not committed a crime.

What are some examples of legal documents?

Lawyers also prepare legal documents for their clients. Examples: buying or selling property or making a will (testament). Certain lawyers (called "commissioners of oaths" in England) can take legally binding witness statements which can be presented to the court. Lawyers work in different settings.

What is legal problem?

A legal problem is referred to as a case. A person can hire a lawyer to start a case against someone else, or to help with a case that has been started against them. If the case goes to court, the lawyer will represent their client in court.

What is the test to become a lawyer?

Once he has graduated from law school, a person must pass a difficult test called the Bar Exam. Because it takes such a long time and so much training to become a lawyer, a person must be really dedicated to the field.

Why do we need lawyers?

We need lawyers because laws are sometimes so complicated and hard to understand that it takes a lawyer to figure them out. If you were ever the victim of a crime, you might go to court to explain to a judge what happened. You would have a lawyer to give you advice and to help you understand how the whole legal process works.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a lawyer?

Advantages and Drawbacks. Being a lawyer has its advantages. Lawyers are usually paid very well. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, lawyers earned an average of around $125,000 in 2008. Lawyers are also typically well-respected, and because they spent so much time in school, they're usually well-educated on many topics.

Why do lawyers help?

Lawyers do a lot of good in the world. Sometimes lawyers help parents adopt children from other countries so they can have loving homes and more opportunities. Or a lawyer might help bring someone to justice who has harmed an animal. This can feel pretty good.

Is being a lawyer bad?

But, being a lawyer has its drawbacks, as well. Most lawyers must work long hours, and the work can be stressful. Sometimes a lawyer loses a case that he's worked really hard on, and as a result, an innocent person might have to go to jail or a guilty person might go free.

Why is career day important?

A career day highlighting the profession can set the record straight for students and expose them to the many types of law that lawyers practice. In fact, there are so many types of lawyers it's useful to focus on themes appropriate for the age level of students, such as how to become a lawyer or the Constitution.

What is the Illinois State Bar Association?

Some state bar associations, such as the Illinois State Bar Association, keep a database of lawyers willing to volunteer to speak to schools and classrooms about legal topics, including a career in law.

Is it hard to talk about being a lawyer?

It's difficult to talk about being a lawyer without covering what kind of law is practiced, because what a criminal attorney does is different from the duties of a lawyer working in environmental law. Descriptions of the many fields of law are provided on the Law School Admission Council website.

Do law schools ask mock interviews?

Many law schools interview applicants during the admission process, so you can conduct mock interviews asking why students want to be lawyers. Most law schools require applicants to submit scores from the Law School Admission Test, or LSAT.

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