So You Want To Become An Attorney

Becoming an attorney is on the wish list of many individuals and it can become a reality if certain steps are taken. This career choice can be an interesting and lucrative one for the right person. As with all jobs, it takes a certain kind of person with specific traits, capabilities and level of education. In order to hang one’s shingle out and practice the law, a person must be persistent and willing to go down a fairly lengthy path toward the realization of that goal. Here are some things to think about if you want to wind up as a lawyer:

- Schooling: Even before applying to law school, an individual should be gearing up for the application process. Getting excellent grades during high school will get a person into a great university. Getting superb grades in the undergraduate years at the university will help an applicant gain admittance into a topnotch law school. Not only is one’s GPA important, the clubs a person belongs to, jobs held and hobbies will be important. Being on the debate team will help with developing oration skills and taking on opponents verbally and professionally. Being on the chess club will help one gain mastery of logic and planning strategies. Working part time as a law clerk will help a person become familiar with the world of courtrooms and legal documents. These extracurricular activities will also demonstrate your interest in all things legal to the law college admittance committee.

- Traits: Lawyers have particular traits which allow them to be especially effective in defending clients and planning defense strategies. Some important characteristics that make up a sharp attorney include strong logic skills, being observant, being assertive, being a good writer and having a fine attention to detail. Well developed organization skills are also quite important as there are lots of deadlines and everything must be done promptly in order to adhere to the letter of the law. Having excellent public speaking skills will be mandatory in order to successfully represent clients and persuade juries and judges.

- Salaries of legal eagles: There are salary ranges for lawyers that allow them to have incomes ranging from decent to downright wealthy. This will depend on the individual’s skill level, talent and what arena he or she decides to work in. Some choices include working in public agencies, government, having a private law firm and working for multi-million dollar corporations. It will also depend on the region of the country where a person lives. Larger urban areas on the east and west coasts usually offer the highest salaries. Working for large corporations is also more lucrative than working as a public defender. It all depends on personal preference and desires as well as intelligence, talent and locale.

If an individual dreams of becoming an attorney, there are multiple considerations to ponder before taking that path toward a career. A person should ask himself or herself whether he or she has the appropriate traits, is willing to study hard in school and participate in the appropriate extracurricular activities and then go for it.