The American Bar Association’s National Lawyer Population Survey gathers information on licensed attorneys practicing within each state or territory. Additional resources provide employment and wage data by area for various occupations.
Demand for lawyers is highest in Washington, D.C., New York City and several state capitals like Tallahassee and Trenton according to a measurement known as location quotient for an occupation.
Careers
Many aspiring lawyers view law school and legal practice as the gateway to an exciting, glamorous, high-powered career. Law schools use this imagery as bait to entice applicants and convince students that investing in an expensive degree degree will yield great rewards.
Truth be told, there are numerous careers where an attorney could find work and success with their legal education. The Office of Professional Development offers resources that can assist students with exploring alternative careers beyond law practice.
Large firms usually cater to corporate clients and boast multiple offices around the country or world, which provide associates (new attorneys) with more opportunities than smaller firms in terms of starting salaries, specialization opportunities, client matters handled by new attorneys and demanding billable hour requirements. Meanwhile, small firms generally specialize in one area of law and employ limited staff so associates take on more responsibility early in their careers.
Education
Assuming you are eligible, becoming an attorney typically involves 7-4 years of undergraduate education and 3 or more years in law school – followed by admission into a bar association after earning your juris doctor degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school.
Law firms provide legal services to both individuals and businesses. New attorneys begin as associates before becoming eligible to become partners in the firm over time.
Lawyers may also work in government positions at local, state, or federal levels; as prosecutor or public defender. Furthermore, government attorneys may work as part of administrative, executive, or legislative staffs.
Make the most of every opportunity during your undergraduate degree to strengthen your research abilities, particularly those related to future legal practice such as accounting, business law or healthcare. The more knowledge you acquire the better your chances will be of succeeding as an attorney.
Skills
Launching a legal career requires not only an extensive legal education and developing key attorneying skills, but also gathering a range of other experiences. Achieve professional success and fulfillment by getting off on a good start!
Soft skills development for any new attorney is of utmost importance, such as communicating effectively with clients and being adept in writing and researching. Furthermore, practicing teamwork skills such as joining sports clubs or debating societies as well as taking on customer service roles should all play a significant role.
Staying current with current events and understanding business issues are critical components of being an effective lawyer. Distilling complex data into something manageable for clients requires advanced analysis skills; additionally, participating in seminars and refresher courses remains key.
Experience
As recent surveys on new attorney hiring have demonstrated, firm experience matters when making hires. Respondents found criteria related to practical experience much more beneficial than class rank, law school prestige or law review participation as criteria for new hire selection.
An experienced associate can do much of the work of a junior attorney, which allows attorneys to learn about legal practice while forging strong client relationships while building their legal market presence.
Attorneys need to practice regularly and attend seminars in order to stay abreast of changing laws and case law, while accepting constructive criticism from colleagues and superiors as this enables the continuous development of lawyer skills, which ultimately enables them to excel at their careers. Without enough business, an attorney could lose his or her position altogether – attorneys without significant business can become liabilities at most firms, potentially endangering employability; without enough clients they could also potentially opt to go in-house, downgrade quality of firm or wait for the economy to improve before considering these alternatives options: wait for improved economy or downgrade quality firm quality as the only options left open to them.