Analysis Of The Career Of Attorney

Introduction

Attorney’s work includes representing and advising clients in civil and criminal matters. Often attorneys will draft legal documents, and interpret laws, regulations, and rules for businesses and individual clients. Those who litigate will prepare cases for presentation to judges and juries by gathering evidence to defend a client or initiate legal action. Attorneys can be general practitioners, who practice in several sectors of law, or work specifically in one specialized area of law. There are several areas of law in which an attorney can specialize, these areas include; estate planning, family and divorce, personal injury, real estate, criminal defense, corporate law and more. There are positions available for attorneys in both the public and private sector (Career Planning).

Skills used

The skills employed by successful attorneys are numerous and according to a lawyeredu. org article include; problem solving abilities, an inquisitive nature, the ability to read symptomatically, strong writing ability, and the ability to effectively articulate points through conversation. The ability to solve problems is often the reason an attorney is hired by a client, finding solutions to client specific problems when no solutions are immediately apparent is where attorneys add value to their clients. An inquisitive nature will spur on an attorney to probe for more information regarding a situation or case, these small details often have a large impact in the outcome of a case. As interpreting laws, regulations, and rules are an integral part of an attorney’s job description, the ability to consume and comprehend great deals of information through reading is of great importance and a skill that will be used daily by an attorney.

Work Conditions

According to careerprofiles. info “Attorneys spend most of their time in courtrooms, law libraries, or legal offices. They can meet clients at their homes, prisons, or hospitals”. Only a modest amount of travel is required of attorneys often limited to in state. An attorney must be admitted to the bar in their respective state, limiting their practice to that state and those which have a reciprocal agreement with the state in which the attorney is a bar member. Attorneys are well known for putting in long hours, the minimal notice in which cases come up require attorneys to often work outside of conventional 9am to 5pm business hours. The attorneys who work on salary pay typically have more conventional set work schedules, while those in private practice have more varied schedules. More than a third of attorneys, who work full time, report working more than 50 hours per week.

Becoming Employed

Someone seeking employment as an attorney is likely to face stiff competition. Those who graduate from the most prestigious law schools have the greatest chance of landing a position at a high-paying law firm. Often, the entry level position for a new attorney is that of associate. Associates will work with more experienced attorneys to gain experience. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly a quarter of attorneys are self-employed as private business owners or law firm partners. Attorneys who are seeking a more conventional work schedule and a reliable salary have employment opportunities at government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations.

Education/Training/Licensure

To become an attorney, one must first complete a bachelor’s degree, and then get accepted to and graduate from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctorate degree. To be eligible to practice law after completing law school, the respective state bar exam must be passed. The Florida bar exam is given twice a year and according to floridapolitics. com, the current first-time pass rate for the Florida bar exam is 67. 2 percent. After passing the bar exam attorneys must complete continuing education requirements of 33 hours per three-year compliance period. The required continuing education requirements cover topics such as; ethics, professionalism, bias elimination, and substance abuse and mental illness awareness according to floridabar. org.

Outlook/Salary

The job outlook for attorneys is expected to increase by about 8% from 2016 to 2026 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is an increase of 65, 000 jobs. While the job outlook is expected to increase for the field, the rate of increase is only on par with the average for all occupations. The pricing competition among attorneys is expected to cause law firms to reconsider their staffing in order to lower costs to the client. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Some routine legal work may be outsourced to other, lower cost legal providers located overseas”, additionally more organizations are expected to increase their in-house council in order to better control legal costs. The median annual wage for attorneys is $119, 250, while the lowest earning ten percent earned less than $57, 430, the highest earning ten percent earned more than $208, 000 per year. Attorneys who own their own practice often earn less than those who work in law firms or other organizations. The state of Florida is the third highest in number of attorneys employed at 47, 630, it lags behind only California at 79, 980 and New York with 73, 560.

Lifestyle Impact

The lifestyle impact of becoming an attorney is very high, beginning with the additional three years of law school required prior to being eligible to sit for the bar exam. The recommended amount of time to study for the bar exam is 400 hours. Once employed as an attorney, the expectation to work more than 50 hours per week is high, and the work tends to be stressful. Being an attorney is one of the most detrimental careers to pursue for those who place a high value on their social life as it ranked in the top three on the list of careers that could ruin your social life. If you own your own practice you can exert more control over your work schedule, but it often comes with compromise of a lower annual income compared to those working in a demanding, large law firm. Attorneys who work as associates at the large law firms are expected to bill at least 2, 000 hours per year, this makes balancing a social/family life essentially impossible.

Conclusions

Choosing to become an attorney is a difficult and demanding career path in which to embark. The barriers to entry are high, requiring both a J. D. degree and passing the state bar exam. Once qualified there are numerous areas in which one can practice law and specialize in. To find success as an attorney one should be very capable at problem solving and communicating, and possess the ability to review and comprehend documents, which can become tedious. While the median annual wage for the position is high at $119, 250 annually, the job outlook is only average with an expected increase of 65, 000 jobs from 2016 to 2026. The possibility of positions currently held by attorneys being outsourced in the future to legal providers oversea should be taken in to consideration for those interested in entering the field. Additionally, the high level of competition for clients can make a career as an attorney no guarantee for future individual success as it was once considered in the past.