Do You Really Want to Become a Lawyer?

So you think you want to go to law school? Welcome to the club. Did you know that the United States has more lawyers, both in total numbers and per capita, than any other nation on this earth? This country is teeming with attorneys, making the status of lawyerhood a little less rare, exotic, and highly regarded than many would-be Clarence Darrows might imagine.
 

There are a number of possible reasons for this country's lawyer boom. The United States is the world's largest and oldest existing democracy, based on the blueprint of an aged but ingenious legal document-the Constitution-drafted by a lawyer, James Madison. Our country is founded upon principles of free speech, equality under the law, the rule of "laws not men," and the right to representation in government. Each of these principles encourages an atmosphere of robust debate, cogitation, and argument. This atmosphere has created a legal system and tradition of unparalleled size, strength, and complexity. Consequently, a lot of lawyers are needed to tend to this magnificent system.

Given our rich common law legal heritage from England, and the judiciary's coequal constitutional status in our tripartite system of government, it was probably inevitable that lawyers would proliferate in the United States. Our free-market system, economic wealth, and growing population have further nourished a bumper crop of lawyers with legal issues and disputes of ever-increasing complexity. In their zeal to regulate, state and federal legislatures as well as local governmental entities have increased the demand for lawyers by enacting countless statutes and ordinances, all of which must be drafted, interpreted, enforced, and applied-usually by lawyers.

Some reasons people seek to enter the legal profession include perceived status, power, and money. There is no doubt that knowledge of the law confers power and status in this society, but, as the introductory quote from Shakespeare shows, this should not necessarily be confused with societal respect. Likewise, many practicing lawyers do make phenomenal (and seemingly unconscionable) amounts of money. Partners in the country's most prestigious law firms routinely receive draws measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Still other lawyers earn contingency fees upward of a million dollars for services rendered in connection with a single case.

Of course, only a very small percentage of lawyers can ever hope to obtain such high-paying jobs or to strike it rich for their work on a single case. In reality, most lawyers work for a net hourly wage that is at best above average. Accordingly, if your aim in seeking a legal career is to become wealthy, there are probably much easier and better ways of accomplishing this goal.

Personal power, status, and money are only part of the equation, however. Many would-be lawyers are persons of lofty ideals who see the legal profession as an effective means of changing societal flaws and injustices and combating crime, pollution, and other problems. Such persons want to use the law to make a positive difference in our world. Some people see the law as a gateway to other professions, like politics or government service, where the same beneficial ends can be pursued. Our adversarial system of justice also attracts individuals who enjoy the competition, high stakes, and occasional drama offered by the cases lawyers handle. Still others appreciate the challenge and satisfaction of structuring the complex business arrangements that afford certainty and stability to our society's economic transactions. In short, there are probably as many motivations for becoming a lawyer as there are lawyers themselves.

Furthermore, the legal profession has many rewards. Closing a hard-won deal, settling or winning an important case, or devastating an untruthful witness on cross-examination can be very exciting and satisfying. The job of a practicing attorney, at its best, is also intellectually stimulating. Unlike assembly-line work, the work lawyers do usually varies from case to case. Many cases lawyers work on require them to learn about such complex and diverse fields as medicine, architecture, and engineering. In short, the variety, challenges, and intellectual stimulation offered by the practice of law can make for a very fulfilling career. Furthermore, few other jobs offer the opportunity to fight city hall (or even the state and federal government) and win!

Being a lawyer or just earning a law degree can also provide flexibility in terms of career choices and everyday life. The law has always provided a sure pathway to numerous jobs in the fields of business, government service, and education. Also, as a practicing lawyer, you will generally have control over when you arrive at work and when you leave. You will have considerable, and eventually complete, autonomy in handling your cases. All that your boss, associates, or partners will care about is whether you get the job done, not whether you are at your desk at any given moment.

Deciding whether you want to embark upon the arduous path of becoming a lawyer is not a decision to be taken lightly. Some lawyers find it amazing that anyone would want to become an attorney, since a lawyer's life is sometimes quite miserable. Most attorneys work very long hours, often on weekends. The pressure and stress lawyering generates can be tremendous-hectic calendars and travel schedules; difficult, unappreciative, and nonpaying clients; hostile, rude, and overaggressive opposing counsel; endless demands to bill more hours to increase firm profits; blown business deals (often blamed on lawyers); constant deadlines and a resulting "putting out fires" mentality; and endless conflicts with family life-such is the practicing lawyer's lot. In a recent opinion poll taken by California Lawyer magazine, a startling 70 percent of the lawyers surveyed said they would start new careers now if given the option! Seventy-two percent said they enjoyed practicing law less now than when they began, and 73 percent would not advise their children to become lawyers.

Moreover, do not expect that becoming a lawyer will win you any popularity contests with future acquaintances, or even your own clients. Public opinion of lawyers always seems to be at its nadir. It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for the low esteem in which the public holds lawyers, but many persons unjustly identify all lawyers with a few unethical shysters or ambulance chasers. Insurance industry propaganda and tort reform campaigns have undoubtedly added to the public s negative perception of lawyers as a whole. Many individuals feel (with or without justification) that their attorneys have mishandled a matter for them, and these people always seem more vocal than the many satisfied clients. Even clients who have received excellent services and results from their lawyers may become dissatisfied when they get the bill, feeling that since they were right after all, why should they have to pay so much for "simple" vindication?

A certain amount of resentment at the legal profession is undoubtedly justified. Our legal system is so complex, and lawyers are now so expensive, that the average middle-class person is effectively denied access to the nation's courts for resolution of his legal disputes. Whatever the reason, though, for the public s low perception of lawyers, be prepared to tolerate those ever-present lawyer jokes.

What's the difference between a dead lawyer and a dead skunk on the road?

There are skid marks leading up to the skunk.

What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.

What's the difference between a lawyer and a vulture? The lawyer gets frequent flyer mileage.

Hilarious, right?

The point of the foregoing remarks is neither to encourage nor dissuade you from pursuing a career in law, but instead to underscore that the decision to go to law school should be made with great care and for reasons that truly appeal to you. The decision should not be rushed. Consider working for a law firm part time as a legal assistant (or paralegal), receptionist, secretary, or clerk before applying to law school to get a taste for the type of work involved and the legal environment in general. Do not make the mistake of relying on "L.A. Law," "Equal Justice," "Matlock," "Perry Mason," or some other Hollywood fantasy for your vision of the legal profession.

However, after you have carefully considered the implications and alternatives and are convinced that you want to go to law school, do not let the large number of existing lawyers change your mind. Though competition for the top legal jobs is indeed fierce and increasing, there is still a demand for lawyers and people with legal training in our society. So if you are convinced you really do want to become a lawyer, by all means read further, and remember the sound advice once given to one of us: "Every profession, no matter how crowded, must make room for those who are good at it."