0 Spend

There are lots of legal jobs….all have their pros and cons. You can find just about every sort of pay structure and fringe benefits imaginable if you include public and private sector employers.

From my experience practicing in WA there are two things you really need to enjoy being a private sector lawyer:
1. Charging people money. Lots of it. People are paying for your education and law license. You need to be comfortable with or enjoy charging people a great deal of money for what is actually pretty menial work. And you have to be willing to charge them for everything. You spend much of your time on the phone or answering e-mails, and you need to record all of it carefully and not be squeamish about charging someone $25 for spending a minute listening to a rambling voice mail "update" that has nothing to do with their case.

2. You have to have a respect for the process of law. You have to accept that you not only will, but should get absolutely hammered for making a tiny easy to fix mistake in 200-300 pages of paperwork. You have to accept things like that if there is a problem with a standardized form promulgated by a government agency that erroneously does not conform to a statute, then you, not them, are responsible and professionally liable if some harm comes to your client because you were so stupid as to not figure out what was wrong With the standardized form.

Those are the two reasons why I no longer want to be a lawyer. They wear down on you. Basically it’s a profession that intentionally inflicts pain and stress on itself in order to say holy cr** our job is so stressful and has such high requirements so we need to charge you a boatload of money to make it worthwhile.
References :
Three years so far as an attorney.

Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast!! This no longer is a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING, crumbling, and dying vocational field. Many, many reasons.

There are more attorneys than there are legal employment positions. We simply already have way too many Legal Professionals. AND the legal profession is dramatically changing: it is in absolute CRISIS! And, every year, more and more people graduate from law school, but there are fewer and fewer jobs. Even the largest and most reputable law firms are experiencing unprecedented cutbacks. I don’t expect the situation to improve in the coming years…..Even Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 20 years) says there are too many lawyers. (9/14/2008)
http://abovethelaw.com/2010/01/this-week-in-layoffs-01-23-10

Even if you do finish law school, you won’t be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking (at an alarming rate), many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down the ladder" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid. And the competition is fierce in TODAY’s job market!!

Now… the law schools know this, but they won’t tell you the truth >that the job market/economy is just SATURATED with way too many Legal Professionals. Instead the schools will feed you a fairytale and will LIE to you. The root of the problem is we already have too many law schools. We are STILL in a Recession, and the schools are fighting for their own survival – they will tell students anything to get to the students’ money. (Which is why they won’t tell you the truth about the job market for the field of Law.) And these schools continue to recruit and churn out even more graduates………….Remember>>> law schools are BUSINESSES – their TOP concern is making money for themselves. Law schools are cash cows.

>>>>>THE #1 MOST IMPORTANT THING (and I can’t stress this enough>>>): You ESPECIALLY have to beware of the BOGUS, INFLATED law school salary/job stats given out by >law schools< (AND by the U.S. Bureau of Labor)!!***<<<<<

If you don’t believe me, then:
**Check out these websites:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/busine…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/busine…
http://subprimejd.blogspot.com
http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/111784/is-law-school-a-losing-game?mod=edu-continuing_education
http://lawandletters.blogspot.com/2007/11/why-you-shouldnt-go-to-law-school.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions/201009/considering-law-school-do-the-math
http://www.abanet.org/lsd/legaled/value.pdf
http://lawshucks.com
http://lawschoolscam.blogspot.com
(A link to a website does not constitute endorsement.)
**do a SEARCH here on Yahoo Answers to see what other posters are saying about the current status of the field of Law.

If you want a JOB when you are done with your studies, consider and look into the fields of: >>>Healthcare<<<, Information Technology, Law ENFORCEMENT, environmentalism, emergency planning, accounting, education, entertainment, utilities, home-car-commercial-industrial repairs, vice industries, clergy, and/or debt collection. I spoke to a career counselor from Jobs and Family Services, and HE told me that these areas are where the jobs are, and future job opportunities/availability….and scholarships.

Good luck.

(This is based on my current knowledge, information, belief, and life experiences. This was intended as personal opinion, and not intended to be used as legal advice. Please be careful and do your research.<<< You DID ask the question here on Y/A. I am just trying to help you.)
References :
life
have actually worked in the field of Law for twelve years
started at the very bottom rung as a mailclerk and clawed my way up
now actually am a CURRENT employee of a law school, so I KNOW and see (too much?!?)
don’t have time to watch those TV law shows – the couple that I did watch weren’t realistic, at all
TV glamorizes the field of Law – Reminder: TV is FICTION!!! – do your research first! – the field of Law is actually a lot of paperwork and politics – and law school is VERY expensive, so know what you are getting into
wish someone would have warned ME sooner
so now I TRY to warn and help others (that actually want to know, will listen and not get defensive)
I am simply tired of watching students getting ripped off by law schools
so many students have come to me- upset because they could not find employment- I am just trying to warn as many as I can, and trying to fulfill a promise
I am answering you in good faith.