do i have what it takes to be a lawyer?

Question

i'm not sure if i have what it takes to be an attorney. I'm intelliegent, can speak eloquently, don't mind hard work. However, I'm generally a very nice, non-argumentive type of person. I don't mind taking charge but prefer not to argue with people. I'm just wondering what people have to say? It would be great if you or someone you know is a lawyer & can describe their personality.

Answer 1

you seem to nice to stoop to be a lawyer....

Answer 2

If you are asking about personality, then that is not a deciding factor in becoming an attorney.

To be an attorney, you need training, which takes time, dedication and effort. You need to spend three or more years of your life earning a graduate degree, and memorizing all kinds of strange rules (many of which aren't even used in real practice). Then, you need to be crazy enough to want to spend 2-3 months studying for a test (the bar exam) that will determine if the past three years were wasted, knowing you won't get the results for 2-4 months after that. And you need to be willing to hang your entire career on a code of ethics that is stricter than any other profession.

Now, litigators (trial lawyers) need additional personality traits, and being argumentative (or at least zealous) is one of them. But remember that's just one area of practice.

Many lawyers do what is called 'transactional work' -- drafting wills, contracts, deeds, doing corporate compliance. In fact, most work that a corporate attorney does is paperwork, with very little litigation.

You need to distinguish between arguing with people and standing your ground. Even in a corporate context, you might be faced with a situation where the board of directors, or the president or CEO, want to do something that you know as an attorney is illegal. You need to be able to convince them to not do, and not take no for an answer. That's standing your ground, which is part of your job. You can do it by being nice and sweet, or by arguing, or by being calmly rational -- it's the results that matter.

Answer 3

It's quite possible that you can still be a lawyer depending on what type of law u intend to practice. Being a lawyer myself my personality is quite different from your but I love the court room I enjoy being an advocate it's what I live for putting up aggressive, cogent and compelling arguments. However I would more suggest in-house attorney for some company. You may be better off specializing in a field which doesn't require court room appearance otherwise you maybe overshadow by the more aggressive lawyers.

But like I said you can still be a lawyer just don't practice criminal or a civil branch of the law which is very contentious.

Answer 4

I am sure you would be a great lawyer, BUT - the world is too full of lawyers.

Law schools crank out about 10,000 lawyers a year. And most of them do not practice law. Most of them find out that they have to get MBA degrees to go into business.

Law and order, love and justice do not have much to do with it. The fact is that there are just too many lawyers. Personality doesn't have much to do with it, either. There are successful lawyers who are nasty and grouchy. And there are successful lawyers who are very nice. And there are lawyers who are total failures because they are too nice to too many people.

If I were you, I would try a job that will be in great demand in the next 30 years. It will pay WONDERFUL money. 80% of the population of the United States will need one. They make about $5,000 a day and they make crying widows feel better, orphaned children feel better and children and parents and siblings feel better.

E-Mail me for the answer.

Lawyers are a dime a dozen. They used to be respected for their education and hard work. But in the past 40 years, litigiousness and vitriolic and frivolous lawsuits have made them public enemy #1.

Try another career.

Answer 5

Academics in this country are so mechanical. So, the biggest factor needed to become a lawyer, or anything, is money. Anyway, lawyers are people good at recalling something they've read, and written law, both state and federal, spans thousands of books...The better lawyers are the ones who find holes in a case, through the research of these books, and do so between deadlines. Justice itself has statutes of limitation, so time is always against you...A practicer of law is full of prestige. If you can afford it, I'd say go for it!

Answer 6

A man is in this room with no windows or doors, inside this room with him is a man eating lion that is really hungry, a giant venomous snake that is ready to pounce and a lawyer, now the man has a gun but only two bullets. What does he do? Shoot the lawyer twice :)


Be a lawyer if you want to, but if you become a personal injury lawyer I revoke the joke ;)

Answer 7

I don't know how u feel about taking personality type assessments to guage what direction to go in but u can do that or u can look up online the attributes that one must have to become a lawyer.

Answer 8

You can be whatever you want but it sounds like you are doubting yourself. I don't think personality makes all that much difference when you are doing a job, I would however encourage you to be able to state an argument with confidence.

Answer 9

it all depends on if you have lots and lots of money going to school to be a lawyer takes very much money and also i dont think you want to be in the middle of peoples messes, when it all boils down to it all lawyers do is argue, so I'd double think your wanting to be one.

Answer 10

I know two husband and wife they are so kind in person but in a court room the teeth and nails come out they know their s!@# and don't mind ruffling some feathers that's their jobs but they are very cool people.

Answer 11

You can be anthing you want to be.You pass the BAR exam and willing to go to school Your in there.Just one question :What kind of lawyer were you going to be? So, I can comment further