Lawyer essay Essay

Teenagers at this age of their lives are not certain about what career path they want to take, because of economic problems and personal influences which they face. Regardless of the fact, I knew from the time I was 9 years old that I wanted to be a lawyer. I have chosen this career because I want to help many people with certain problems and protect their rights. Lawyers give people and companies advice and tell them what they can and can’t do under the law. The trick of being a lawyer is finding a job in a type of law that you enjoy, because there are so many different types of lawyers; from tax attorneys to criminal defense lawyers. In support of my research I have met with Andrew Forsythe and Christopher Gunter, they are both criminal defense attorney and they also have been practicing law for 14 years. In hopes of getting a better understanding of my career search. I realize that before pursuing this career, it is also important to learn that you must need three or more years of intensive study beyond a bachelor’s degree program. You are also likely to face steep competition from others attempting to enter the legal profession. However, the potential benefits of being a lawyer can make pursing a legal career worth the effort. Part 1- Reasons for choosing this career A career as a lawyer is an extraordinary calling. However becoming a lawyer is an enormous undertaking in terms of time commitment and financial investment. The beauty of a law degree is that it opens door for many paths. You could choose to practice so many types of laws, or take your qualifications and never ever seen the inside of a court room. Many lawyers end up becoming professionals in other fields, such as working in policy in the department of state, entering the military, working in corporations, eve the FBI. I always wanted to be the guy with the suit and fancy shoes, standing in front of the judge and defending my client. It seem as a pretty easy job with well earned pay, which requires a lot of knowledge. Becoming a lawyer is often one of the most difficult professions to enter due to the high competition and time require obtaining degrees. You need at least 4- year bachelor’s degree, 3 years of law school and passing a written bar examination. However, some requirements vary by state. In schools such as mine, there aren’t any programs that let you work on criminal cases until you hit college, and college is not free. If your school may not offer this, then that ruins your change to get a scholarship to help you pay for the debt. Part 2- What I learned After I did some research on this career, I learned that you must earn a Bachelor’s degree, and take the LSAT. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a required standardized exam that applicants must take before entering a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The exam is offered four times each year and measures an applicant’s reading and verbal reasoning skills. Last but not least, you must pass the Bar exam. Each state requires law school graduates to pass the bar exam in order to practice. Lawyers were able to accomplish their dream jobs based on passion and talent. â€Å"In a day and age when opportunity abounds, I’m surprised to find many people who give up on their dreams. Some want to learn how to become a lawyer but give in all too easily.† (Peter J. Loughlin) Becoming a Lawyer is very difficult. There are many fields that you could study for but to me, you should study the legal basis of law. It helps to interact with many people around you. (Lucille Ball) â€Å"If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers† (Charles Dickens) The most important thing I learned about this career is that their salaries range from $110,000- $113,000. (Occupational outlook†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.) This fact definitely made me happy. One of the best schools that offer job placement assistance after you have graduated, it’s ITT Tech. It’s a four year college and offers financial aid for those who need it. Part 3- Summary of my Interviews I interviewed Christopher Gunter. He is a criminal defense attorney and has practiced criminal law in Travis County since 1980, after earning his JD from ITT Tech. Mr. Gunter discusses his experiences prosecuting his first death penalty case when he was an Assistant District Attorney. Throughout my interview I’ve realized that he is very passionate about working as a lawyer. His salary starts at $75,000 and gets higher depending on the cases he takes. He suggested that â€Å"you must take this job seriously.† He also told me that â€Å"ITT Tech does not look at your experience, instead they look at all your grades, attendance to determine if you are a hard worker or not.† He earns a lot of money in every case he takes. He also enjoys defending his clients when they really need it. I felt very comfortable when he told me those things, I see lawyers as heroes, because they take their job seriously. Mr. Gunter taught that lawyers got their own way of doing things, some lawyers work different than others; however they all have something in common. They fight until the end and they share the same purpose; win their cases. Part 4- Reflection At the beginning of this I search project, I was shocked when I saw the mandatory 3-7 pages we had to do. It was really difficult to decide, at one point I decided to take the zero and do well on other tests. Now I am very thankful for having to do this project, because it taught me a lot in the area of my career. It also taught me to never give up on my dreams no matter how hard they are. I thought that I just go to college, get the degree and then get a job. I was completely wrong, that’s when I realized it was not that easy. I have learned a lot of stuff that I will need in the future I order to accomplish my goals, this project helped in many ways. I never knew that colleges looked at your attendance and judged you based on that. I am very happy at finding more about my choice of career; I know that being a lawyer is very difficult but not impossible, and I will never give up until I see myself standing in front of the judge, wearing a suit and fancy shoes.