What is the best field of law?

Question

I am thinking of law school and was wondering if anyone had opinions on which was the best field of law...
For money?
For fun daily work?
For time with family?
For most overall fullfillment?
For travel?

Answer 1

My husband is an attorney and he has friends in all areas of law. Most are unhappy with their career choice. The ones who are happy are almost all in criminal law (ie. District Attorney or Public Defender.) Public employees tend to have a decent salary, great benefits, and unless you are in trial, reasonable hours. The L.A. Public Defender starts at about $60k and after 15 years, you'll make about $110k. Not the "gobs of money" you think about, but a decent living.

The public sector criminal attorneys are the people who went to law school knowing what they wanted to do and did it. This is the best reason to go to law school.

Too many people go to law school not out of a burning passion for law but because it was a professional program and they thought they'd make good money.

Unless you are in the public sector and fighting for a cause, law is a business like any other. At the "big firms" Senior Partners can make seven figures -- but that's after 20 years of 80 hour work weeks.

The most lucrative field is Patent Law but you've got to have quite a bit of undergraduate science and pass a special Patent Law exam on top of the bar exam to practice in Patent Courts.

Intellectual Property pays more on average than other forms of civil law.

Having your own practice can help you balance work/life issues and can also be quite lucrative. But some people who do this barely squeak out a living. Again, it boils down to your business skills.

If you really want to be a lawyer -- go! Don't let anyone hold you back. But, if you're just searching for a profession, think twice about law. Almost every private sector lawyer I know (including my husband) wishes they had picked another path.

Answer 2

I've always liked intellectual property. It has a future for change and, to me, is pretty understandable compared to others. Plus, you really do not have much worry about whether the person you prosecuted (as in a criminal lawyer) is going to get out and come after you, if they chose so.

You can also work for major corporations or government too.

Answer 3

Environmental! Perhaps not the best paid, but you don't necessarily have to work 100 hours a week or more! Guess it also depends on which side you are on, the polluters or the people being killed by them!

Answer 4

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