Why You Should (Or Shouldn’t) Become a Lawyer

So you want to be a lawyer! Join the club. I'm just kidding. About 1 in 250 people are lawyers, which isn't that many (or is it)? But there are a lot of people like you, and most of them want to become lawyers for a lot of wrong reasons. Here are some of the right ones.



1. Money: It's a gas. You make a lot. Sure it's hard work, but what's not in this life? Expect 60 hour work weeks to begin with, and there's plenty more where that came from. Want to take a vacation? I've heard of lawyers who have their work sent to them every morning while they're away. While working at a large law firm will be grueling, you will make a lot of money. It's likely that you will have an overwhelming amount of debt from law school, and working in a big firm will help you pay it off faster.



2. Communication Master: You will be reading, writing, listening and speaking like a wise man in no time. Or about five years, if you're just getting ready to apply to law school.



3. Passion: Most lawyers eventually develop a passion for the law, and justice. Passion is a key to happiness, and I'm not talking about your significant other. If you love what you do, you will be able to channel creativity and individuality into your job, making it a pleasure to go to work in the morning. One of the best parts of the law is that it is meant to be interpreted. This leeway is what will inspire you to understand and master justice.



4. Issues: You will become informed regarding the issues, and when I say the issues I mean the laws. Laws aren't based on emotion, they are based on logic. Logic is right all the time, like science. If you ever find yourself in a position that requires knowledge of the law, you will know what measures to take. This can also lead to protecting yourself and your loved ones, in ways that you were hitherto unable.



5. Helping People: Most of the time people will pay you for advice. Sometimes they will want it for free. In both cases, you can help people. You may come across some of their deepest darkest secrets, but you will know what it's like to be a confidant.



6. Winning arguments: When you develop a sense of how to use logic and argue like a lawyer, it is rare that you will ever lose an argument. This can be a good thing and a bad thing, especially if you are fighting with close loved ones who can't stand losing.



Being a lawyer, like many things in life, has pros and cons. It depends largely how you treat your job, and what you want from it. You should be comfortable with all of the above listed reasons for being a lawyer. Now that you are, study for the LSAT, get in to law school, and take the bar. Good luck!





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IAT Law provides continuing law education regarding Jewish law and American law. Continuing legal education seminars for credit are available by visiting www.IATLaw.org.