To become a lawyer, one needs to take several challenging steps. The most important is earning the much coveted Juris Doctor. Following this, aspiring lawyers must acquire the many skills that will help their practice in the field of law.
But, aspiring lawyers must also take another important step: they must take stock of what they can do once they’ve finished law school and passed the bar exam.
It’s essential for law students to understand how far their reach is once they’ve earned the right to practice law. Below is a primer to some career options individuals with Juris Doctor can pursue.
Practice Law
This option is likely a no-brainer for the majority. Earned your law degree and passed the bar? Use your license to practice law, then. It might appear simple, but the law has numerous areas that are filled with complexities. As early as law school, it’s good to know what each area entails to better focus on one aspect of the law or another.
- Tort Law
Tort is filed under common law, and is the area of law that aims to deter people from committing harmful acts to others. This is accomplished by imposing liability to those who do harm, and providing relief to the harmed party. Tort law has four elements: duty, breach of duty, causation, and injury.
Those who wish to practice Tort Law can do so an independent entity. However, many find it easier to join a law firm that specializes in Tort cases, like personal injury, in Lynnwood and other areas since they’ll gain access to the resources that the firm has.
Educate Aspiring Lawyers
There are people who realize that they wish to do more with their degree aside from practicing the law. This can be done by imparting knowledge to a new set of aspiring lawyers.
- Academe
Teaching is the best way of educating those who are interested in working in the legal system. Lawyers who work in law schools will do the same thing as their mentors had done for them in the past.
One is to give lectures on different topics, like court procedures. Another is to moderate classroom discussions about the case study assigned to the class.
Becoming a law professor can be a part-time endeavor or a full-time career, for those who find it more fulfilling to train future lawyers.
- Writing
A person need not go into teaching to impart the knowledge that they have gained over the years. An alternative to doing that is through becoming an author. A good example is John Grisham, who used his knowledge as an attorney to write legal thrillers. While his books are fictional, the legal systems woven into the plots are based on reality.
Those who aren’t keen on writing fiction can pursue non-fiction. Lawyers can write articles on various topics, like environmental or intellectual property law. They can also dedicate their time into working on longer form content like textbooks that can be used in law school.
Whichever career path one takes, it’s important to go through the endeavor with care and due diligence to succeed in your chosen field.
