An attorney practices in a court of law and is legally qualified to prosecute and defend clients or the state. They operate both as advocates and advisors in society. All attorneys investigate the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply them to the specific situations faced by their clients. Depending on their field of specialization and position, the jobs of attorneys vary. Some represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, while others draw up legal documents and manage or advise clients on legal transactions. They may specialize in a single area or practice broadly in many areas of law.
Attorneys Schools and Degrees
The successful completion of a bar exam is required in order to become a licensed attorney. 7 years of full-time study after high school, including 4 years of undergraduate study and 3 years of law schoo,l is the basic requirement. A bachelor’s degree is a must to qualify for any exam. Admission to law schools depends on the applicant’s demonstrational ability of the aptitude required for the study of law. The quality of the applicant’s undergraduate school record, any prior work experience and a personal interview are all considered as well.
Job Requirements
A lot of responsibility is involved in the practice of law. Attorneys should like to work with people and be able to win the respect and confidence of their clients, associates and the public. Perseverance, creativity, and reasoning ability also are vital since lawyers often analyze complex cases and handle new and unique legal problems. Attorneys may specialize in a number of areas, such as bankruptcy, environmental law, probation, international law and property, to name a few. Some of them work for insurance companies, while most work in private practice, concentrating on criminal or civil law. The government employs many attorneys as well. Knowledge of English, philosophy, public speaking, foreign languages, government, mathematics, history, economics and computer science are all helpful.
Nature of Work
Attorneys mostly work at their offices, law libraries and courtrooms. They might have to travel to attend meetings, to gather evidence and to appear in court. They have to face heavy pressure during case trials. Attorneys who are in private practice may work irregular hours whereas salaried lawyers usually have structured work schedules.
Attorneys Jobs and Outlook
According to research in 2006, attorneys held about 761,000 jobs in the US. This number is expected to grow by 11 percent in the next ten years. Employment is the highest in the following industries:
Federal Government
Legal services
Local government
Management of companies and enterprises
State government
The mean hourly wage for attorneys in the US is about $56.87, while the mean annual wages are around $118,280.
Job Numbers and Growth
About 761,000 attorneys can be found working in the US. A very low unemployment level has been the case recently. Employees without jobs were about 1%.
Area Job Conditions
Finding employees is easiest in Washington (District of Columbia), Tallahassee (Florida), and New York (New York), and by comparison more challenging in Blacksburg (Virginia), Bakersfield (California), and Merced (California).
The pay is best in Rocky Mount (North Carolina), San Francisco (California), and Santa Rosa (California) and worst in Anniston (Alabama), Terre Haute (Indiana), and Las Cruces (New Mexico).
Training and Education
You'll generally want a first professional degree for this career path. Of current attorneys, 99% graduated from college with degrees. Some 1% of workers attened college but did not go on to get a bachelor's degree. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
Attorneys working part-time accounted for 6% of those employed in 2008. Self-employed workers represent an estimated 27% of the total.
Attorneys by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.