Photo: ELSA International (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Job description
Lawyers interpret laws and regulations for individual and business clients, gather evidence by interviewing witnesses and clients to build a case, and analyze likely outcomes based on legal precedent before developing a strategy. Beyond the courtroom, much of the work is drafting and reviewing documents like contracts, wills, deeds, and leases, and advising clients on everything from business transactions to whether a lawsuit is worth pursuing. Some lawyers specialize in a single area of law while others practice broadly, but nearly all face a fast, deadline-driven pace, exacting precision requirements, and frequent contact with clients under real stress, all after earning a JD and passing the bar.
Pros
- High upside earning potential, up to $352k
- Strong pay even at the entry level
- Faster than average projected job growth (4.1% over the next decade)
Cons
- Above-average hours, expect more than a standard 40-hour work week
- Requires a Juris Doctor plus bar admission, a long and expensive credentialing path
- Regularly deal with frustrated or upset people under real time pressure to meet deadlines
A typical day
The day starts before the phone allows deep work: two hours drafting a motion for summary judgment, building the argument brick by brick with case citations checked twice. At 10 the client calls arrive — a business owner needs a contract reviewed by Friday, a longtime client has a dispute turning ugly, and each conversation is both counsel and translation, turning law into decisions a person can make. Lunch is a deposition prep session with a witness who needs coaching on the difference between answering and volunteering. The afternoon holds a settlement negotiation where the lawyer's leverage was built by six months of discovery, followed by the daily reckoning with email and billable hours. Evening reading — new filings from opposing counsel — closes a day that ran on the profession's twin engines: preparation and judgment. Trials are rare; being ready for one is constant.
Tasks at the job
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
- Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
The pace is often fast, with real time pressure to meet deadlines, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. Precision and accuracy are essential to the work, and the work is highly structured, following set procedures. You'll regularly deal with frustrated or upset people as part of the job.
Education necessary or common
Juris Doctor (JD) plus bar admission
Common college majors
Licenses & certifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) — required
- State bar admission — required
- Board certification in specialties (later, optional)
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP English Language — the law is reading and writing under discipline
- AP US Government — the system you'd be sworn into
- Debate or Speech electives — argument as a craft
- AP US History — precedent has a past
- AP Statistics — modern litigation is full of data
- AP Psychology — juries, clients, and witnesses are human
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Mock Trial — the definitive preview
- Debate team — evidence, argument, rebuttal
- Model UN or Youth in Government
- Student government — advocacy and procedure
- School newspaper — investigation and clear writing
First steps you can take now
- Join Mock Trial this year and take an attorney role
- Watch real court proceedings — trial courts are public and appellate arguments stream
- Interview two lawyers in different fields (a prosecutor and a transactional lawyer see different professions)
- Read one Supreme Court opinion in full — the reasoning, not the headline
