Is Law School Right for You?

Many undergraduates and professionals alike toil over the difficult decision whether or not to attend law school. There are just as many motivations to go to law school as there are students, and, upon graduation, an equally large number of career paths. There is no "typical lawyer" or "standard career," which most likely contributes to the difficulty of your decision. It's often recommended that potential law students talk to practicing lawyers, attend trials, visit law school classes, and even work at a law firm for a time. While these are all good suggestions and are certainly beneficial, you still probably won't be exposed to every specialization available.
There are differences in work load, client contact, work environment, compensation, etc. depending upon whether you specialize in criminal law, family law, personal injury or defective product litigation, trust and estate law, business transactions and litigation, tax law, employment or labor law, environmental law, patent and trademark law, civil rights litigation; you get the idea. The point is that you've got a lot of options, many of which you may not be aware of. But don't worry; these are things to decide once in or upon graduating from law schools.
Well then why were you just bombarded with a reminder of all the decisions you sill have to make and how do you actually decide if law school is right for you? Because of all the options suggested above, it's virtually impossible to come up with one definition of what being a lawyer entails. Thus, one description of law school and what you will focus on within it would not be accurate. However, there is a standard set of skills and characteristics that most lawyers need to have. You may have them now, you may learn them in law school, but you will certainly need them eventually if you do go on to practice law. It's important to understand these skills and to assess yourself in relation to them in order to determine how likely it is that you will succeed as a lawyer.
Lawyering, first and foremost, is a people business. You'll make your living by advising and/or representing people who have come to you for help in personal, criminal, social, or business related problems. The relationship created must be personal and confidential because you're helping people work through difficult, threatening, and significant events in their lives. In order to solve these problems you must be able to sympathize with your client, but also maintain an objective position from which to analyze and identify the potential legal issues that must be addressed. Ultimately, you must formulate a plan to reach a result that is consistent with your client's requirements as well as with those of that law.
Your client, most likely, will be unaware of or misdirected about the law. Thus, you'll need to educate your client on the actual law, how it is applied, and how it applies to his/her case. This may be difficult for a client to grasp since he/she have a vested interest in the outcome. Not only will you need to be a good teacher, but you'll also need tact when it comes to explaining to clients why they may be mistaken. In order to accomplish this effectively, you'll need excellent communication skills. Communication, both verbal and written, is one of the most important skills that a lawyer must have. The key to your success as a lawyer is the ability to convince others of the accuracy of your analysis of the problem, the law, and the results of combining the two. Most importantly, you must be able to do so equally well both speaking and writing.
While the ability to argue your point is essential, the ability to argue both sides is equally so. You must accept and advance your client's decision even if they choose to reject your advice (as long as you stay within the ethical parameters of the Code of Professional Responsibility). Making a convincing argument requires strict attention to facts and details. Detail work is another significant aspect within the practice of law. This includes constantly reading and studying the law. You must keep abreast of the ever-changing law whether it be statues, agency rules and regulations, or courts decisions. Whatever your chosen specialization, you'll need to be studying and updating your knowledge constantly. This is on top of the research that you will need to complete for each specific case.
Understanding these general lawyering skills should help you determine whether or not you would do well in law school. As previously mentioned, you need not possess these skills right now, but they are the types of characteristics that you should be looking to develop in law school. Along with learning and understanding the law and specific cases, you'll be learning to think and react like a lawyer, and these are the skills you'll need to do so. Typically, the students who enter law school understanding the realities of law practice and take the time to explore the career options available are the ones who succeed in law school, and, even more importantly, enjoy their legal career long after law school is over.

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