What Does it Take to Be a Lawyer?
Lawyer Example Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
What Do Lawyers Do On a Daily Basis?
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
- Confer with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas of legal issue to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings.
- Present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation.
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Lawyer?
Below is a list of the skills most Lawyers say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Types of Lawyer
- Foreign Legal Consultant
- Associate Counsel
- Counselor at Law
- Patent Solicitor
- Health Care Attorney
Is There Going to be Demand for Lawyers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 792,500 jobs in the United States for Lawyer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 65,000 new jobs for Lawyer by 2026. The BLS estimates 40,700 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Lawyer are Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Maine, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Lawyer
Lawyers make between $58,220 and $208,000 a year.
Lawyers who work in District of Columbia, California, or New York, make the highest salaries.
How much do Lawyers make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $117,100 |
| Alaska | $121,680 |
| Arizona | $145,750 |
| Arkansas | $98,780 |
| California | $171,550 |
| Colorado | $147,560 |
| Connecticut | $153,640 |
| District of Columbia | $192,530 |
| Florida | $128,920 |
| Georgia | $128,930 |
| Hawaii | $111,290 |
| Idaho | $99,360 |
| Illinois | $152,980 |
| Indiana | $113,360 |
| Iowa | $112,630 |
| Kansas | $109,020 |
| Kentucky | $100,100 |
| Louisiana | $105,490 |
| Maine | $107,120 |
| Maryland | $128,340 |
| Massachusetts | $165,610 |
| Michigan | $110,180 |
| Minnesota | $119,330 |
| Mississippi | $97,990 |
| Missouri | $113,780 |
| Montana | $88,600 |
| Nebraska | $108,170 |
| Nevada | $138,920 |
| New Hampshire | $125,890 |
| New Jersey | $139,020 |
| New Mexico | $105,910 |
| New York | $167,110 |
| North Carolina | $129,990 |
| North Dakota | $107,290 |
| Ohio | $121,520 |
| Oklahoma | $118,790 |
| Oregon | $119,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $138,610 |
| Rhode Island | $125,330 |
| South Carolina | $105,320 |
| South Dakota | $109,070 |
| Tennessee | $124,470 |
| Texas | $150,250 |
| Utah | $112,380 |
| Vermont | $107,490 |
| Virginia | $139,180 |
| Washington | $136,480 |
| West Virginia | $98,630 |
| Wisconsin | $130,450 |
| Wyoming | $105,600 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Lawyers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Lawyers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- SAP
- Microsoft Project
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Publisher
- LexisNexis
- Google Analytics
- Tax software
- Fund accounting software
- Corel WordPerfect
- Microsoft Office SharePoint Server MOSS
- Novell GroupWise
Becoming a Lawyer
Education needed to be a Lawyer:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Lawyers Work
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Lawyer might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: Okan Г‡alД±Еџkan via CC0 Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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