Questions about Law School and Profession - Empty Closets - A safe online community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered people coming out

Revan · 14th Dec 2009, 11:45 AM

Well I hope this is okay for me to ask people on here, but since I'm on this forum all the time and feel you guys as an extended family. Is anyone on the forum going into law school/in the law profession/interested in law profession? I ask because I'm considering it but I not only have no idea about what KINDS of jobs there are in the profession, but what should I expect from it. If anyone can answer, I really appreciate it people!

Emberstone · 14th Dec 2009, 12:21 PM

how many lawyers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

**Chip** · 14th Dec 2009, 12:25 PM

Well, I have family as well as friends who are attorneys. THe majority of jobs for attorneys are probably in either private practice (working for themselves and soliciting clients individually), or in a firm with other lawyers (where they are usually paid a salary, or eventually made a partner.)

Other jobs include municipal ones (prosecutor, staff attorney for various offices), public service (working for nonprofits or advocacy groups for environmental or other causes to better the world), corporate (working for corporations promoting whatever their agenda is) and general business work (writing contracts, reviewing legal docs, etc.) And of course there are judges, magistrates, and other positions involved in the legal system, as well as clerks for judges.

Some attorneys are in court all the time arguing cases, others never see a courtroom in their entire careers. Some work with individuals every day, some spend most of their time reading interpreting, writing.

I'm sure there are plenty of others I'm leaving out, but hopefully that gives you an idea.

Emberstone · 14th Dec 2009, 01:21 PM

my uncle is a public defender, who is the lawyer hired by the "if you cant provide represention for yourself, the state will..." aspect of law. he gets a case and his job is to ensure a fair trial.

UserName · 14th Dec 2009, 08:41 PM

My dad owns his own commercial real estate company and I'm highly considering becoming a Real Estate Attorney for him and his clients; from my understanding they just do the whole legal side to real estate development in terms of paper work, checking out the zones, leasework, etc. etc.

And I'm double majoring in Philosophy and Psychology (Philosophy is very good for law school because of the logic and increased ability to be analytic and a problem solver, the LSAT is 2/3rd's logic puzzles) and I'm thinking about maybe minoring in business to help round me out. But then again, I'm not too sure I kind of want to become a Psychiatrist :-/ .

**lostinthought9** · 14th Dec 2009, 08:55 PM

Well, right now I'm working on a degree in Political Science, then going into law-school later on. I would like to have a minor in Criminal Justice, or something similar to that. Chip covered alot of the professions from law-school graduates...

s5m1 · 15th Dec 2009, 12:32 PM

There are so many different areas of practice that the profession can’t be easily described. Chip touched on a number of the areas. I like to break it down into several different categories. The two most basic are transactional and litigation. Transactional lawyers work on business deals. They negotiate and draft documents. Litigators handle disputes and go to court. Within each of these two broad categories, there are many subspecialties. Transactional lawyers can work on real estate matters, banking related work, corporate work, etc. Litigators can handle civil cases (lawsuits) or criminal matters (either defense of prosecution). Everyone’s personality is different, so early in their careers, young lawyers need to figure out which area they are interested in.

The practice of law is very demanding. It is not a 9-5 job. There is no such thing as a 40 hour week for most lawyers in private practice. If you work for the government, the hours can be better, depending on the agency you work for. However, the money is not as good as in private practice.

The economic meltdown has hit the legal industry very hard. There have been significant layoffs over the last year, as well as salary reductions. While this is expected to rebound, the impact has been significant. Many law firms are not hiring new lawyers right out of law school now and are not expecting to hire large starting classes of first year lawyers for some time (perhaps 2011). At some point, though, when the economy picks up, the demand for legal services will also pick up and law firms will again begin hiring.

The practice of law is EXTREMELY STRESSFUL. There are significant pressures from all sides, such as clients, judges, and your law firm. Successful lawyers need to learn how to cope with that stress, or it will really get to you. Lawyers suffer from burnout, heart attacks, alcoholism and depression in higher numbers than other professions.

While there are certainly many downsides to the practice, there are a lot of plusses. It feels really good when you have helped someone in need. The practice of law can be intellectually stimulating, depending on your type of practice. You can have a great deal of autonomy as a lawyer. And, you can make a nice living. While most lawyers do not get rich, it is easily possible to earn a significant 6 figure salary. Just remember, there are also sacrifices that come along with the money.

Please feel free to PM me if you want some more detail or information on practicing law.

14th Dec 2009, 11:45 AM	#1
Revan EC Addict Full Member Gender: M for MEEP! Orientation: Mutant and Proud Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Windsor, Ontario Age: 24 Posts: 6,562 Join Date: Jun 2005	Questions about Law School and Profession Well I hope this is okay for me to ask people on here, but since I'm on this forum all the time and feel you guys as an extended family. Is anyone on the forum going into law school/in the law profession/interested in law profession? I ask because I'm considering it but I not only have no idea about what KINDS of jobs there are in the profession, but what should I expect from it. If anyone can answer, I really appreciate it people! __________________ "Is there some reason my coffee isn't here? Has she died or something?" - Miranda Priestly. Strength is not defined by physical capacity, but by indomitable will. ~ Mahatma Gandhi Procrastination is like masturbation, in the end you just wind up screwing yourself.

14th Dec 2009, 12:21 PM	#2
Emberstone Flappychap Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Oregon, USA Age: 28 Posts: 5,587 Join Date: May 2008	Re: Questions about Law School and Profession how many lawyers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

14th Dec 2009, 12:25 PM	#3
Chip EC Advisor EC Admin Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: northern CA Posts: 5,576 Join Date: May 2008	Re: Questions about Law School and Profession Well, I have family as well as friends who are attorneys. THe majority of jobs for attorneys are probably in either private practice (working for themselves and soliciting clients individually), or in a firm with other lawyers (where they are usually paid a salary, or eventually made a partner.) Other jobs include municipal ones (prosecutor, staff attorney for various offices), public service (working for nonprofits or advocacy groups for environmental or other causes to better the world), corporate (working for corporations promoting whatever their agenda is) and general business work (writing contracts, reviewing legal docs, etc.) And of course there are judges, magistrates, and other positions involved in the legal system, as well as clerks for judges. Some attorneys are in court all the time arguing cases, others never see a courtroom in their entire careers. Some work with individuals every day, some spend most of their time reading interpreting, writing. I'm sure there are plenty of others I'm leaving out, but hopefully that gives you an idea.

14th Dec 2009, 01:21 PM	#4
Emberstone Flappychap Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Oregon, USA Age: 28 Posts: 5,587 Join Date: May 2008	Re: Questions about Law School and Profession my uncle is a public defender, who is the lawyer hired by the "if you cant provide represention for yourself, the state will..." aspect of law. he gets a case and his job is to ensure a fair trial.

14th Dec 2009, 08:41 PM	#5
UserName Member Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: South Carolina Posts: 96 Join Date: Nov 2009	Re: Questions about Law School and Profession My dad owns his own commercial real estate company and I'm highly considering becoming a Real Estate Attorney for him and his clients; from my understanding they just do the whole legal side to real estate development in terms of paper work, checking out the zones, leasework, etc. etc. And I'm double majoring in Philosophy and Psychology (Philosophy is very good for law school because of the logic and increased ability to be analytic and a problem solver, the LSAT is 2/3rd's logic puzzles) and I'm thinking about maybe minoring in business to help round me out. But then again, I'm not too sure I kind of want to become a Psychiatrist :-/ .

14th Dec 2009, 08:55 PM	#6
lostinthought9 EC's Biggest Xena Fan EC Moderator Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: A few people Location: Louisiana Age: 21 Posts: 2,059 Join Date: Jan 2008	Re: Questions about Law School and Profession Well, right now I'm working on a degree in Political Science, then going into law-school later on. I would like to have a minor in Criminal Justice, or something similar to that. Chip covered alot of the professions from law-school graduates... __________________

15th Dec 2009, 12:32 PM	#7
s5m1 Gay and Couldn't be Happier! Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Maryland Age: 46 Posts: 861 Join Date: Dec 2007	Re: Questions about Law School and Profession There are so many different areas of practice that the profession can’t be easily described. Chip touched on a number of the areas. I like to break it down into several different categories. The two most basic are transactional and litigation. Transactional lawyers work on business deals. They negotiate and draft documents. Litigators handle disputes and go to court. Within each of these two broad categories, there are many subspecialties. Transactional lawyers can work on real estate matters, banking related work, corporate work, etc. Litigators can handle civil cases (lawsuits) or criminal matters (either defense of prosecution). Everyone’s personality is different, so early in their careers, young lawyers need to figure out which area they are interested in. The practice of law is very demanding. It is not a 9-5 job. There is no such thing as a 40 hour week for most lawyers in private practice. If you work for the government, the hours can be better, depending on the agency you work for. However, the money is not as good as in private practice. The economic meltdown has hit the legal industry very hard. There have been significant layoffs over the last year, as well as salary reductions. While this is expected to rebound, the impact has been significant. Many law firms are not hiring new lawyers right out of law school now and are not expecting to hire large starting classes of first year lawyers for some time (perhaps 2011). At some point, though, when the economy picks up, the demand for legal services will also pick up and law firms will again begin hiring. The practice of law is EXTREMELY STRESSFUL. There are significant pressures from all sides, such as clients, judges, and your law firm. Successful lawyers need to learn how to cope with that stress, or it will really get to you. Lawyers suffer from burnout, heart attacks, alcoholism and depression in higher numbers than other professions. While there are certainly many downsides to the practice, there are a lot of plusses. It feels really good when you have helped someone in need. The practice of law can be intellectually stimulating, depending on your type of practice. You can have a great deal of autonomy as a lawyer. And, you can make a nice living. While most lawyers do not get rich, it is easily possible to earn a significant 6 figure salary. Just remember, there are also sacrifices that come along with the money. Please feel free to PM me if you want some more detail or information on practicing law.