{"id":17271,"date":"2019-09-09T16:28:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T21:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=17271"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:40:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:40:45","slug":"do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-become-a-lawyer-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/lsat\/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-become-a-lawyer-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Have What It Takes To Become a Lawyer?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As you start to explore careers in law for your future, you may find yourself asking some questions like these:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What\u2019s the job description of a lawyer?<\/li>\n<li>How do you become a lawyer?<\/li>\n<li>What type of person typically becomes a lawyer, and do you fit the bill?<\/li>\n<li>What are some of the different types of law you could pursue?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>\u2026and, perhaps most importantly\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you have what it takes to succeed in\u2014and enjoy as your life\u2019s ambition\u2014a career in law?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re seriously interested in becoming a lawyer, you probably know that careers in law are not like they\u2019re portrayed in TV shows and movies, which usually offer a distorted\u2014albeit dramatic and sometimes even inspiring\u2014picture of the lawyer\u2019s job and personality type, usually focused on high-profile trials and grandiloquent litigation, followed by heartwarming\u2014yet narrow!\u2014wins for the good guys.<br \/>\nIn the real world, here are some\u00a0traits you will need\u00a0to both succeed at being a lawyer, and make sure your personality is suited to the task!<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >You work well with others<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>That\u2019s right\u2014being a lawyer means working with people! Fellow attorneys, judges, court clerks, clients, etc., are all crucial to a lawyer\u2019s job. You have to be a \u201cpeople person\u201d to succeed.<br \/>\nSure, lawyers must always have their clients\u2019 interests at heart, but those interests are often best served by exercising effective strategy (read: compromise) with opposing counsel. Usually we see lawyers \u201cwin\u201d or \u201close\u201d their cases in majestic, mahogany courtrooms on TV. However, the vast majority of cases are settled long before they reach a courtroom, with\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/legalcareers.about.com\/od\/practicetips\/a\/lawyermyths.htm\">less than 1% of all civil cases<\/a>\u00a0actually proceeding to trial. Ironically, even\u00a0as a trial\u00a0attorney, you\u2019ll spend a lot less time in court than you might expect, especially when you\u2019re fresh out of law school.<br \/>\nFor example,\u00a0a family law attorney\u00a0handling a client\u2019s divorce will ultimately need to do his or her best to work amicably with the other side to reach a fair settlement for both parties. Especially if you\u2019re a sole practitioner, all that seemingly unrelated socializing that comes before you get to the tough negotiations can be more important than the negotiations themselves in helping things go smoothly.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >You can persuade others<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>The ability to persuade=the practice of law. Think that loving to argue means you\u2019ll be a great lawyer?\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/legalcareers.about.com\/od\/practicetips\/a\/lawyermyths.htm\">Beware of the myth<\/a>\u00a0that merely battling it out with an opponent somehow defines the job description of a lawyer. A key trait of a good attorney is the ability to\u00a0<em>convince<\/em>\u00a0others of their point of view through persuasion\u2014both oral and written. Yes, that means that excellent writing skills can\u2019t be underemphasized. More on this in a bit.<br \/>\nWe\u2019ve all seen TV lawyers give impassioned\u2014sometimes tearful\u2014oral arguments in front of judges and juries, and that is what you might envision as\u00a0the job of a litigator. However, you may find yourself frequently using your skills of persuasion as a criminal defense attorney, for example, with the judge and DA in chambers, outside of open court. You may need to advocate for a client who was arrested for a DUI or drug possession to be allowed to enter treatment for addiction instead of serving jail time. If so, you will ultimately need to convince those involved that this is the best course of action, both for your client and the community.<br \/>\nAdditionally, you need to be able to persuade in writing. For example, you will write motions to persuade a judge as to how a particular rule of law should be applied to your client\u2019s case. You\u2019ll need to write\u2014and write a LOT\u2014as an attorney. It might not be as glamorous as an awe-inspiring courtroom speech straight out of a John Grisham novel, but persuasive and effective writing is an essential skill of lawyers. And moving speeches have to be written too.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >You are independent and self-disciplined<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>This is important no matter what type of law you practice or whether you choose to be a sole practitioner or work for a law firm. Successful lawyers are independent self-starters who know how to manage deadlines effectively.<br \/>\nYou won\u2019t be able to rely on a lot of hand-holding as a new attorney. You\u2019ll have to schedule court appearances, client meetings, and filing deadlines. You\u2019ll need to track your billable hours in 6- to 15-minute increments. You\u2019re likely to find yourself writing your very first motion\u00a0at a large firm, for example, have no idea what you\u2019re doing, and be told by your supervisor to just \u201cfigure it out.\u201d<br \/>\nAnd figure it out you will\u2014through research, research, and more research. Which brings us to\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >You can endure the grind<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>There are a lot of tedious but important tasks that go into being a lawyer. You\u2019ll review discovery, research statutes, and spend a lot of time with your nose in dry, dull books (which would have made\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0250494\/?ref_=nv_sr_1\">Elle Woods\u2019 story in\u00a0<em>Legally Blonde<\/em><\/a>\u00a0a little less entertaining).<br \/>\nIn addition to doing heaps of research, you\u2019ll have to answer the same client questions over and over and over again. You\u2019ll fill out the same forms over and over and over again. If you work\u00a0at a big law firm, you\u2019ll have to do lots of grunt work for the managing partners\u2014over and over again.<br \/>\nSometimes, to become a lawyer, you just have to put your head down, do the work, and endure until you get to those few moments that make it all worth it. You\u2019ll get a glimpse into this aspect of the lawyer\u2019s job when persevering through law school and preparing for the bar exam, of course. But it\u2019s also good to know you can handle\u2014and want to commit to\u2014this way of life before investing thousands upon thousands of dollars in your legal education.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >You don\u2019t take things at face value<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>This is\u00a0an essential LSAT skill, too, and at least part of the reason your LSAT score is a predictor of first-year law school success, since it is relevant to the actual practice of law. Being able to recognize the key components of an argument and spot its flaws and inherent assumptions will prove critical in your future as a lawyer\u2014both in composing your own compelling, airtight arguments and in effectively advocating for your clients by breaking down opponents\u2019 arguments.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >You must be able to network<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Building your network as a lawyer, both throughout law school and beyond, is immensely important, especially if you decide to go the sole practitioner route. Lawyers will build relationships with other attorneys they know and trust and refer clients to one another.<br \/>\nEven if you work for a firm, you may eventually be responsible for bringing in new clients and for essentially marketing the firm, and the more comfortable you are with networking and connecting with various people (as a way of life on a day-to-day basis, not at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2011\/08\/small-firms-big-lawyers-the-best-advice-for-networking-events\/\">so-called and often useless \u201cnetworking events\u201d<\/a>), the more success you will find as a lawyer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_sidebar  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >So, should you become a lawyer?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nFind out more you need to know about the job description of a lawyer, different types of law, and other aspects of careers in law. Start doing your research now\u2014you can\u2019t get enough practice. Consider interning or working at a law office before applying to law school. Check out our list of\u00a0top legal internships<span style=\"font-size: 16px\">\u00a0and get some experience\u2014not just to check a box on your law school application, but to really figure out if being a lawyer is right for you!<\/span><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  avia-builder-el-last '><div id=\"text-68\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"b09e45baf32bb094b1db7ecb7bbced76db6d5ddeedea46d11ddd040e8de23baa\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div id=\"text-69\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"47f64185b039c44474f0041fb26ab7c506845672b7ebef37d1d95bc82f27b02f\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you start to explore careers in law for your future, you may find yourself asking some questions like these: What\u2019s the job description of a lawyer? How do you become a lawyer? What type of person typically becomes a lawyer, and do you fit the bill? What are some of the different types of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28381,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[23,386,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17271"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34287,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17271\/revisions\/34287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}