Full Answer
What area of law should I choose to practice?
What area of law you decide to practice should depend on a variety of factors unique to you. It’s not just about which area of law makes the most money or which area of law your parents, professors, or school advisors tell you would be good to practice.
Can a lawyer practice more than one area of law?
A lot of lawyers practice more than one area. Keep that in mind as you read through this guide and realize that you are not necessarily limited to choosing one. (Note that we are not suggesting you choose fifteen! But two would be fine.) There are many practice areas available that people don’t know about. Have you always loved horses?
How do I select a practice area?
What this means when selecting a practice area is: stand apart, choose the path less traveled, be the purple unicorn. How to do this? You need to understand where market demand is high or emerging (i.e., who is hiring and for what), and where supply (i.e., number of lawyers practicing in this area) is low. Take these two contrasting examples:
Is real estate law a good area of practice?
You can imagine why this area of law involves a great deal of paperwork and research. If you are not comfortable reading and writing all day, you may want to re-consider real estate law as your area of practice. Real estate law may also be connected to other areas that interest you.
What's the best area of law to practice?
Here are 16 fruitful, promising areas of law for you to consider.Complex Litigation. This is an area of law that demands a lot of patience and incredible attention to detail. ... Corporate Law. ... Tax Law. ... Intellectual Property. ... Blockchain. ... Healthcare. ... Environmental. ... Criminal.More items...
What is the most profitable area of law practice?
Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:Medical 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.
What are three recommended knowledge areas for a lawyer?
Examples of lawyer skillsAnalytical and research skills. Lawyers rely heavily on their ability to perform deep research into topics related to cases they work on. ... Attention to detail. ... Organizational skills. ... Time management. ... Persuasive communication. ... Written communication skills. ... Interpersonal skills. ... Technical skills.More items...•
What is the easiest area of law to practice?
Estate Planning Although being a legal clerk is the easiest career path, it is only suited for beginners. Estate planning wins the most stress-free legal practice area when practicing law for lawyers. Many lawyers avoid estate planning as it is a field of law associated with death.
What area of law is most in demand?
Most employers are seeking mid-level legal professionals with three to five years of experience....Most in-demand practice areasCommercial law.Litigation.Real estate law.Intellectual property.Family law.
What is the fastest growing area of law?
The main areas of law that are growing are cybersecurity, cannabis, labor, elder law, energy, IP, and health. These growth areas don't only affect new lawyers who are interested in transitioning to these eight fields.
What are 5 typical duties of a lawyer?
DutiesAdvise and represent clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters.Communicate with their clients, colleagues, judges, and others involved in the case.Conduct research and analysis of legal problems.Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses.More items...•
What makes a successful lawyer?
Here are the top 5 qualities of a good lawyer: responsiveness, analytical skills, good research skills, speaking skills, and listening skills. and understand it on the spot. When a case is in session, curveballs will likely be thrown and they have to be able to interpret and respond to them appropriately.
What is the most important skill of a lawyer?
10 Important Lawyer Skills and How to Develop ThemTeamwork. By no means exclusive to law, the ability to work in a team is essential to any job. ... Initiative and Independence. ... Creative Problem Solving. ... Written Communication Skills. ... Verbal Communication Skills. ... Work Under Pressure. ... Commercial Awareness. ... Understanding People.More items...•
What type of lawyers are the happiest?
The happiest attorneys, therefore, are those who experience a cultural fit. This means they work for firms where they are free to act independently, do work that matters to them and collaborate on teams with people who complement their personality and communication style.
What is the least stressful type of law to practice?
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.
What is the hardest type of law to study?
Generally, more students find Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure the most difficult because they are far more abstract than other areas of law.
How to be a lawyer?
1. Know Yourself. It sounds clichéd, but taking time to truly think through and analyze what interests you and where your talents lie will pay high dividends as you embark on your legal career . Different practice areas suit different personalities, both substantively and skillset-wise.
What is the number one driver for creating career options and job security when practicing law in a firm?
The number one driver for creating career options and job security when practicing law in a firm is your ability to develop business. This stands true whether you are in a global mega-firm, small local practice or boutique environment. (The single environment that does not come into play is the government; oddly, it has an indirect effect for practicing in-house at a company.) It should not come as a surprise that it is easier to develop clients in certain practice areas and geographies than others. So, if your long-term play is to become a law firm partner or hang out your shingle, understand how your practice area selection affects your potential client base, and whether it is the sort you can attract and develop into meaningful client relationships.
What are some examples of regulatory practices?
Examples of regulatory practices include: antitrust, banking, communications, employee benefits, energy, environmental, food and drug law, health care, securities, and tax. Each of these areas has a corresponding federal agency employing lawyers and before which lawyers practice.
What are employers attracted to?
Employers are attracted to candidates who have some demonstrated interest in a particular practice area whether that interest is shown through prior work experience, extern/internships during law school, or even a concentration in classwork. Your ability to tell a credible story―through your resume and while interviewing―to a potential employer ...
Do corporate lawyers like to write contracts?
Corporate lawyers tend to dislike their first- year legal writing class and instead enjoy the structure and predictability of reviewing and drafting contracts. Corporate/transactional law has many subsets (e.g., finance, franchise, real estate, technology transactions, etc.), but the overall personality traits for those who enjoy this work are ...
What is a long term goal?
Long term goals are vital if you want to become a successful attorney. A long term goal is something you seek to realize in the future. As you select a legal practice area, you need to base it on your long term goals.
Do you want to venture into a field that will not sell in the job market?
You don’t want to venture into a field that will not sell in the job market. As a graduate, you need to find a law practice that will be sought by prospective clients.
Work Experience in the Legal Field
Having a lot of legal experience will help you decide which area of law you want to work in. There are a variety of choices accessible to you, which you can learn more about in our guide to legal work experience.
Contracts for Training: Do Your Research
Following your legal work experience, you should have a good notion of what interests you and what kind of firm you'd like to work for. The following step is to consider your training contract.
Law Firm Size
That is, whether the firm is a large worldwide firm or a smaller or regional firm, as well as the attorney's rank (equity partner, non-equity partner, head general counsel, regular in-house counsel, associate, etc.). These factors can have a significant impact on even the highest-paid legal positions.
Geographical Region
Even if you work in a profitable legal field, where you work can have a significant impact on your attorney's salary.
The economy as a whole
Even the most lucrative legal practice areas are affected by the overall economy.
Litigation
Complex litigation is a trendy topic right now, and the best lawyers can earn astronomically high attorney incomes. Complex litigation is a specialist area of law involving high-stakes "bet the company" lawsuits brought by and against the world's most powerful corporations.
Corporate Law
If litigation and trial work isn’t for you, but you want to work in one of the best-paying legal fields, consider business law, which pays up to 8% more than the norm. Corporate law is a broad phrase that encompasses a wide range of transactional activities performed on behalf of businesses and corporations.
Where junior lawyers wind up
IS this graph a horrifying depiction of the general lack of choice that awaits you? We’d hope not. A first glance at the US legal market bewilders students with its homogeneity, but rest assured, it gets much more complex with a little investigation.
Average hours per week
This is the first time we’ve formally collected this data, and our first reaction was that average hours are lower than expected.
Associate satisfaction by practice area
There aren’t any strong trends here, which is reassuring, given that this guide is all about finding the career path for the right person. It’s also reassuring to see private equity, 2018’s busiest area, also producing the most satisfied associates – where law is the natural habitat of high-achievers that makes sense.
Lawyer stress by practice area
The correlation between stress and practice area is stronger than satisfaction.
Career development by practice area
This graph is combined from scores reported on levels of responsibility, client contact, autonomy, opportunity to establish a practice, contact time with partners, and travel opportunities. As above, where there is change, dynamism, or stress, associate lawyers are learning and developing the most.
Benefits and quality of life
The questions contributing to this (bonus and pay, cultural factors, hours, flexible working, personal freedom) indicate how valued each lawyer feels overall. This topic may appear contradictory: as a lawyer there’s a trade-off between your quality of life and the sums you bill and the benefits you receive.
What does switching practice areas in law mean?
Switching practice areas in law means you’ll be a student all over again. Get ready to study! Alycia spends 30 minutes a day studying case law, regulations, and other information about family law not related to current cases.
How long does it take to change your legal practice?
It will also take time and it’s important not to rush the process. It may take 1-2 years before you feel you’ve fully switched to your new area of legal practice.
Why is it important to meet others in your practice area?
Meeting others who practice in your new practice area can be invaluable for learning about who you might be interacting with. You can learn the nuances about judges in your area, opposing counsels, and more.
Is it possible to switch practice areas?
So interested, in fact, that you think about changing legal practice areas. Switching practice areas in law is certainly possible. If you find a different practice area that’s more fulfilling, investing in making the switch is certainly worth it .
Know Yourself
It sounds clichéd, but taking time to truly think through and analyze what interests you and where your talents lie will pay high dividends as you embark on your legal career. Different practice areas suit different personalities, both substantively and skillset-wise. Below is a general, high-level summary of the personality traits suite…
Understand The Role of Supply and Demand
- Now more than ever, the market plays a significant role in determining who is hiring, what they are hiring for, and how long that job will last. Long gone are the days when simply having a law degree meant guaranteed job security at a law firm. Employers are ever more discerning on credentials, expertise, and value. What this means when selecting a practice area is: stand apart, choose the …
Choose Early and Commit
- When I say choose early, I mean law school (if not earlier). Employers are attracted to candidates who have some demonstrated interest in a particular practice area whether that interest is shown through prior work experience, extern/internships during law school, or even a concentration in classwork. Your ability to tell a credible story―through y...
Clients Anyone?
- The number one driver for creating career options and job security when practicing law in a firm is your ability to develop business. This stands true whether you are in a global mega-firm, small local practice or boutique environment. (The single environment that does not come into play is the government; oddly, it has an indirect effect for practicing in-house at a company.) It should n…
Consider Your Long-Term Personal Goals
- This is the culminating question: how will the practice area you choose at the beginning of your career set you up for personal and professional success 10 years down the road? While the thought of where you will be a decade from now may seem overwhelming, this is a very real question to consider in our quick-moving world, where multiple job changes throughout a career …
Passion and Personality
Some of the most successful attorneys attribute their success to passion. Some of these attorneys will tell you outright that passion will drive your career. You need to look at the practice that energizes you. You don’t want to waste time in a career that is not naturally appealing to you. Career passions are conceived during childh…
Demand and Supply
- You don’t want to venture into a field that will not sell in the job market. As a graduate, you need to find a law practice that will be sought by prospective clients. Bankruptcy Law is a practice area that is in demand. It is one of the fastest growing practices in the market. In the United States, most of the companies in the Aviation sector are shutting down. In addition, the depreciating ec…
Law School Concentrations
- You should practice what you studied in law school. If you want to become a competent attorney, practice what you concentrated on law school. If you majored on litigation, you should practice civil litigation. When two individual are involved in legal disputes over non-criminal matters such as money, civil litigation is the remedy. If you specialize in civil litigation, you will be known as a l…
Legal Practice Area Goals
- Long term goals are vital if you want to become a successful attorney. A long term goal is something you seek to realize in the future. As you select a legal practice area, you need to base it on your long term goals. If you want to succeed and become reputable, long term goals are essential. As an attorney, your goals should be to serve clients wi...
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