Originally published by Robert Kraft.
Many children and teenagers want to become lawyers when they get older. Whether it’s seeing a parent or relative go to work at a law firm every day or seeing depictions of glamorous lawyers in the media, many young people seem to think that the law is a dream career. While the law can certainly be the right career for many young people, they may need to look at some of the factors that make up a successful career in the legal field. This article will reveal 4 of the factors that a young person should consider before applying to law school.
The Money Factor
No one considering law school is unaware of the cost of law school these days. While the average law school student will have a debt of about $72,000 when they graduate, some law schools have students leaving with six-figure debt. Another factor to consider is that a law degree is no longer a sure path to the upper class in our society. While getting a law degree is still lucrative much of the time, you will need to balance the rising cost of a legal education with the idea of being out of the workforce for at least 3 years, and the loss of income that comes with that.
The Extra Education Factor
The competition for the jobs at prestigious law firms gets crazier every year. One way to stand out among the crowd of law school graduates is to earn a master’s degree in law school. While advanced education can separate you from the pack, you’ll have to decide for yourself if the extra debt is worth the additional opportunities you may get as a result of earning this degree.
The Public Speaking Factor
Most lawyers spend a lot of time presenting information to groups large and small. These groups include juries, judges, clients, arbitrators, and colleagues. If you have a fear of public speaking, take courses in college that include oral presentations in their work load. Most colleges and universities also offer public speaking courses for credit.
The Word Factor
Words are a lawyer’s bread and butter. Not only must a practicing attorney be comfortable making presentations in front of groups of all sizes, they must have a fluency with the written word. This is because a large part of an attorney’s job includes writing briefs, legal memos, motions, and other legal transactions. Written communication is such a large part of a lawyer’s job that those people who claim to hate writing or were not enthusiastic students in their English classes should look at other career paths.
Practicing law as an attorney is not as glamorous as Shonda Rhimes and her friends in Hollywood make it out to be. You have to put in a lot of thought about potential student debt, your strengths, weaknesses, and ability and willingness to work on said weaknesses before you can even begin to start the journey of a law career. But if you’re willing to really consider whether the legal industry is right for you, then it can often be a rewarding career path for those who do the hard work of research, skills assessment, and financial planning beforehand.
Author’s Information: Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Curated by Texas Bar Today. Follow us on Twitter @texasbartoday.
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