What's it like to be a lawyer?

Question

I mean I think I know what they do but if anyone knows any inside info, please post about good things, fun things to do, and bad ones too! Just want to know, since I might go to law school, I don't know. Thanks

Answer 1

Widely varied.  Some work 80 hours a week and some do 30.  Some live for the job and some have the job to live.  Some sit in front of computers and some stand in front of judges.  

Answer 2

I am a business lawyer, representing small and medium sized businesses.  I like the variety of it.  I am always learning about new thing from my clients.

If you like puzzles, researching the law can be satisfying too.  Finding just the right case to help your client, from the hundreds of thousands of cases that are out there, can be challenging and rewarding!

I agree with Brandon that a real downside is that you cannot fix everything.  In every lawsuit, at least one person will lose.  Sometimes it is just money, but other times it is their house, or their children, or their personal freedom.  Most lawyers will do everything they can for the clients without lying or cheating, but many times your best is not good enough.  And you have to learn to accept that.

If you are thinking about law school, ask yourself why.  Many people go to law school because they are smart, think they will make tons of money and don't really know what else to do.  But those are terrible reasons.  Law school is tremendously expensive and competition for good jobs is fierce.  If you have a passion for law and learning, or want a profession where you may be able to help someone every day of the week, then become a lawyer.  If you just "don't know", don't waste your time and money.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

To be honest, most of the time its boring. 90% of legal work - even criminal defense - is very repetitive. If you do something like real estate then 99% is repetitive paperwork.

Richard

Answer 4

Most of the time, its pretty much being a professional liar. But not just any liar, a liar who extensively researches ways to back up their lies for hours.

Answer 5

Paloma L obviously doesn't know what she's talking about; so, let me give you some real information.  I've been a lawyer for the past twelve years, and currently.

Good thing:  Knowing the law!  Many people haven't got a clue about the law, and others think they do, but are mistaken.  The law is too vast for anyone to master all of it, but as a lawyer you have a much better grasp of it than most people do.  That kind of knowledge is very helpful.

Good thing: getting to hear what's really going on.  As a lawyer, I have a confidential attorney-client relationship with my client.  So, my client tells me all sorts of things which no one else gets to hear.

Fun thing: Getting to cross-examine people!  Once, I had a case in which a guy tried to bribe a witness in order to get favorable testimony.  The person he tried to bribe told me all about it -- she even had a check that guy had written.  (What kind of an idiot bribes people with his personal check?)  When I got the guy on the stand, I confronted him with documents that proved he had tried to suborn perjury.  When he finally realized what had happened he turned bright red.  He knew it was all over.  The judge was livid.  It's nice to take a bully like that and wreck his plans.  

Bad things:  There are many things that the law can never fix.  As a lawyer, you often have an up close and personal view of human tragedy.  

Being a lawyer is not for everyone, but I find it rather satisfying.  Unfortunately, most people have no real understanding of the law, or of lawyers.  They sit around and complain about lawyers -- until they need one, of course.

UPDATE: I just read Richard's answer, and I think there is much truth to what he says.  Legal work can be repetitive, especially in certain areas of practice.  That's a downside you'll want to bear in mind.

Answer 6

Paloma forgot to add that they never do their own work- their paralegals do it for them.So basically, they charge you a lot of money to sit and do NOTHING but lie. Hmm..maybe I should be one.