A lawyer is a person who practices law, as an advocate, barrister, attorney, counselor or solicitor or chartered legal executive. Working as a lawyer involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems, or to advance the interests of those who hire lawyers to perform legal services.
1 Diverse Legal Career Options
Lady Justice
Fry Design Ltd/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
The complexities of our legal system have created hundreds of legal career options that serve a variety of core and non-core legal functions. From lawyers, judges, and mediators to paralegals, secretarie
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A lawyer is a person who practices law, as an advocate, barrister, attorney, counselor or solicitor or chartered legal executive. Working as a lawyer involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems, or to advance the interests of those who hire lawyers to perform legal services.
1 Diverse Legal Career Options
Lady Justice
Fry Design Ltd/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
The complexities of our legal system have created hundreds of legal career options that serve a variety of core and non-core legal functions. From lawyers, judges, and mediators to paralegals, secretaries, and consultants, the legal professionals role is expanding and evolving to keep pace with the ever-changing legal system.
2 Growth and Opportunity
In the last several years, the legal profession has experienced staggering growth. A steady rise in profits and revenues expanded headcounts and significant salary increases have provided plenty of job opportunities in a broad range of legal positions.
3 Financial Rewards
The legal profession is one of the most lucrative industries in todays job market. Double-digit growth in recent years has produced healthy revenues and rising salaries. Associates in the nations largest law firms start at $150,000 to $180,000 and partners earn average salaries in excess of $1.2 million. Many non-lawyers also reap significant financial rewards in the legal profession.
4 Client Service
At the heart of the legal professionals role is client service. Whether you are a lawyer representing a multinational corporate client, a paralegal assisting abused women to obtain restraining orders or a law clerk researching a tax issue for a new business, the fundamental purpose of the legal professional is the help others resolve their legal problems.
5 Diverse Practice Areas
Increased segmentation and specialization in the legal profession has spawned a growing number of legal specialties and sub-specialties that cater to almost every legal interest. Legal professionals who seek a career in litigation can specialize in criminal law, employment law, family law, products liability or dozens of other practice areas. Legal professionals who prefer a career in corporate law can specialize in tax law, mergers, and acquisitions, real estate, finance or another corporate practice area that satisfies their interests.
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