Questions for a lawyer...?

Question

If you can PLEASE anwser any of the questions below:

Did the time go by fast for you during all those years of school of law school?
Was it very hard for you? If yes what part was?
What are some skills a good lawer would have?
Do you stress alot?

If you are a lawyer now:

Do you really work ALOT on cases most of the week?
Do you have time fo things like going out to have fun or going on vacations? If you do have time for these thing do you alot?



Thank you if you answered any of these questions. It because Im planning on going to law school to become a lawyer when I graduate and i wanted to know the answer to some of these things. I love EVERYTHING about being a lawyer and really want to be one!!!

Answer 1

Law schoolsucks, It is quite hard. It takes a lot more time than any schooling you are used to. Despite that--if you have the mind for it --it is quite interesting.

Being a lawyer is not nearly as glamorous as it is made out on TV. You can make a decent living--usually a better than average income. But there are a lot of lawyers that are just getting by. There are way too many lawyers in this country.

What a lawyer does depends on the type of lawyer you become. You might work for a big firm--and mostly all you will do for several years is research and outline depositons. You might go into practice for yourself. This is stressful but can be personally rewarding--at first what you will be doing are divorces and court appointed criminal cases.

There are a number of scenarios that could play out.

The most important skills in being a GOOD lawyer--and there are a lot of REALLY BAD ones are intelligence, ability to use logic, interest in people and willingness to work really hard.

The last thing is common with all successful lawyers. No good lawyer works a 40 hour week--either when they are starting out--or when they are along in their career. Most do it not only because they have to do--but because they love their work.

Answer 2

An answer from a happy lawyer:
Time went by fast. Three years is not a lot, when you compare with any other advanced profession. You talk about cases, which means you're interested in litigation. In that case, in your second and third year, you'll get to do Cinicals, which is a lot of fun, real clients! On the whole, you must love reading and be prepared to read six to eight hours everyday, no kidding. That was the hardest part, sitting down hours each day and reading sooooo much.
Is it stressful when you practice? Yes, it is a job with serious responsibilities, whatever area you chose. You must be meticulous, alert, articulate, and still you might make serious mistakes, with consequences for your client.
As to whether you work a lot and have time for fun, believe it or not, it's up to you. The happiest lawyers are in public service and government jobs. Their salaries can be as low as $35,000, or if a good federal job, start at $60,000. But if you do sell your soul to a large corporate firm, you will start in the big cities at $120,000, and you will NEVER have any life.
Try to go to a reasonably priced good school, so you're not burdened with loans, and have to sell your soul.
And try to look closely at why you want to be a lawyer. TV makes it glamorous, and it can be. But a lot of it is tedious document review. Any job can be fun as long as it is what's right for your skill and you can excel at it.

Answer 3

In law school I spent three years reading gobbledygook and listening to lectures by people who must have flunked out of court. Enjoy!

Answer 4

I am not an attorney but am forced to interact with them in my work.

Two requirements:
Sell your soul
Learn to drink alcohol to excess.