Wednesday, January 18, 2012

What To Do With A Law Degree

There are many challenging opportunities out there for a law school graduate. Take some time to research all the possibilities and you will find your career path. Here are just a few ways you can use your law degree.

Join a law firm. Many graduates join a law firm right after graduation. When starting at a law firm, you are an associate. This is entry-level lawyering.

Being an join together is not unlike completing a residency for a doctor. You will work long hours every week and perfect most of the grunt work. You will yield legal documents, write briefs, research for hours and other tedious tasks all in the hopes of climbing the ladder to one day become partner.

Becoming partner is the pinnacle of law firm statuses. As one of the partners, you have a say in what cases your firm takes on and other big decisions. Partners also share the profits of the law firm. Once all expenses have been paid out such as associates' salaries, the income that is left will be distributed between the partners. The respect of being partner and the high earning possible attracts many law school graduates.

Law graduates who prefer not to deal with the social hierarchy of a law firm may opt to find work in a corporation. This position is called in-house counsel. You are employed by the company and work in the legal department. As in-house counsel you will typically work less hours than at a law firm and your salary will be fixed.

Another career choice for lawyers is to work for the government. There are many positions to be found in the government and non-profit sector. You can work as a social defender where you will defend criminal cases. This is higher paid than you might think. You will deal with many challenging cases in this capacity and you will also face much court time.

Another path in government is becoming an assistant district attorney. In this position you will be the prosecutor in criminal cases.

So how do you go about obtaining these positions? The time to start seeing for a job as lawyer is in law school. In law school you will intern in distinct firms. Most firms hire a great division of associates from the summer internship pool.

If you're seeing into working for the government, do your homework. There are many distinct government agencies out there that employ lawyers. Hunt online at government web sites and find a sense method.

A great way to find job openings is by holding in touch with your classmates. An old law school friend may be able to advise you to a law firm or know other lawyers that can direct you to distinct employers. It's always good to network.

There are many opportunities out there for man with a law degree. Don't ever feel stuck. If you determine that you don't want to convention law, your degree still qualifies you for many jobs in company management or in the non-profit sector.

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