When looking to get into law, many do not have a clue which area of the law they want to concentrate on and work in. This is a mistake and can lead to problems down the road. Furthermore, while in school, a student with direction will have a better time and get more about of the experience. With that in mind, here are six tips for a student who needs help deciding on which direction to take in the legal field.
Future: Of course, when getting a job, it is important to think of the long-term. This is true in the legal field as a person will not want to get an education and experience in a subject that will lose relevancy over time. Ideally, a student would do the opposite and choose something in a growing field. For example, a person who specializes in Internet litigation will have a better chance at staying employed than someone who works in a dying arena of law. While there are no guarantees, a student with training and experience in a growing field will have an easier time in the future.
Pay: Now, most people who want to get a law degree want to gain prestige. Howsoever, some chase the money and care about nothing else. When a person wants to do this, they should work at a large firm in corporate tax law or some related field. On the other hand, a person looking to avoid a low-income should try skip public defender or other low-end and low paying jobs.
Passion: Above all, an individual should have passion for his or her work. When this is the case, an employee will always love coming to work and will never truly have a bad day at the office. Not only that, with passion, a person will probably make more money as they will, naturally, jump up the ladder since people like what they have to offer. Remember, to never truly work a day, one should choose something for which they have passion. Take this for instance, if you are passionate about helping people who may have been taken advantage of by their employers or someone who injured them, personal injury may be an area of law for you to consider studying in depth.
Repay debts: Other times, a graduating student will not want to chase money but still want to pay off his or her debts. One way to do this is to work in public defender’s office or for a small non-profit organization. Often, they will repay the debts for an employee who stays for a few years.
Ask: One way to find out what a person wants is to ask others. When a student can chat up a few attorneys, he or she can gain valuable insight into how the profession works and what people enjoy. Without a doubt, this is a smart step to take as one can always use a mentor to help with a decision.
Location: When a person wants to live in a specific area, they should first verify that they can find a job. For example, when working in corporate law, an attorney will have a hard time finding a place to work. Remember, this is important to realize as some people do not want to move around the country, or world, for their career.
With these six ideas, a person can determine what they want out of law school and where they should work in the future. Luckily, this process will not take long, and a person should get results quickly.