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LAW(Source: Bureau of Labor
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About LAW
A career in law by definition means a commitment to the
peaceful resolution of disputes. Problems may be too intractable
to solve peacefully; for this reason, a representative system,
where individuals trained to stand in for the disputants, is needed
to achieve justice. Occupations within this field include: lawyer,
victim's advocate, paralegal, legal research assistant, judge,
probation and parole officer, loss prevention manager, sheriff.
Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors
in our society. As advocates, they represent one of the parties in
criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court
to support their client. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients
concerning their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular
courses of action in business and personal matters. Whether acting as
an advocate or an advisor, all attorneys research the intent of laws
and judicial decisions and apply the law to the specific circumstances
faced by their client.
Lawyers may specialize in a number of different areas, such as bankruptcy, probate, international, or elder law. Those specializing in environmental law, for example, may represent public-interest groups, waste disposal companies, or construction firms in their dealings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other Federal and State agencies. These lawyers help clients prepare and file for licenses and applications for approval before certain activities may occur. In addition, they represent clients' interests in administrative adjudications.
Some lawyers concentrate in the growing field of intellectual property, helping to protect clients' claims to copyrights, artwork under contract, product designs, and computer programs. Still other lawyers advise insurance companies about the legality of insurance transactions, writing insurance policies to conform with the law and to protect companies from unwarranted claims. When claims are filed against insurance companies, these attorneys review the claims and represent the companies in court.
Most lawyers are found in private practice, where they concentrate on criminal or civil law. In criminal law, lawyers represent individuals who have been charged with crimes and argue their cases in courts of law. Attorneys dealing with civil law assist clients with litigation, wills, trusts, contracts, mortgages, titles, and leases. Other lawyers handle only public-interest cases-civil or criminal-which may have an impact extending well beyond the individual client.
Lawyers are sometimes employed full time by a single client. If the client is a corporation, the lawyer is known as "house counsel" and usually advises the company concerning legal issues related to its business activities. These issues might involve patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, property interests, or collective-bargaining agreements with unions.
A significant number of attorneys are employed at the various levels of government. Lawyers who work for State attorneys general, prosecutors, public defenders, and courts play a key role in the criminal justice system. At the Federal level, attorneys investigate cases for the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies. Government lawyers also help develop programs, draft and interpret laws and legislation, establish enforcement procedures, and argue civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government.
Judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers apply the law and oversee the legal process in courts according to local, State, and Federal statutes. They preside over cases concerning every aspect of society, from traffic offenses, to disputes over the management of professional sports, to issues concerning the rights of huge corporations, to questions over disconnecting life-support equipment connected to terminally ill persons. All judicial workers must ensure that trials and hearings are conducted fairly and that the court administers justice in a manner which safeguards the legal rights of all parties involved.
Occupation Highlights:
- Formal educational requirements for lawyers include a 4-year college degree, 3 years in law school, and the passing of a written bar examination. Competition for admission to most law schools is intense. Demand for lawyers will be spurred by the growth of legal action in such areas as health care, intellectual property, international law, elder law, environmental law, and sexual harassment.
- A bachelor's degree and work experience are the minimum requirements for a judgeship or magistrate position, but most workers filling these positions also have law degrees.
- Judges and magistrates should encounter some competition for jobs.
- Demand for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is growing because of the high cost and long delays associated with litigation.
Earnings (Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook)
| In 2002, the median annual earnings of all lawyers was $90,290. The middle half of the occupation earned between $61,060 and $136,810. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $44,490; at least 10 percent earned more than $145,600. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of lawyers in 2002 are given in the following tabulation: |
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| Management of companies and enterprises |
$306,964 |
| Federal government |
$131,970 |
| Legal services |
98,790 |
| Local government |
69,710 |
| State government |
67,910 |
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Median salaries of lawyers 6 months after graduation, 2001 |
Type of work |
Salary
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| All graduates |
$60,000 |
| Private practice |
90,000 |
| Business/industry |
60,000 |
| Judicial clerkship and government |
40,300 |
| Academe |
40,000 |
Source: National Association of Law Placement |
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Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates had median annual earnings of $94,070 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $44,970 and $120,390. The top 10 percent earned more than $138,300, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $24,250. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in 2002 were $112,720 in State government and $54,750 in local government. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers earned a median of $64,540, and arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators earned a median of $47,320. |
In Federal courts, the following salaries apply: the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court earned $198,600, and the Associate Justices earned $190,100. Federal court of appeals judges earned $164,100 a year in 2001 while district court judges had salaries of $154,700, as did judges in the Court of Federal Claims and the Court of International Trade. Federal judges with limited jurisdiction, such as magistrates and bankruptcy court judges, had salaries of $142,324. |
According to a survey by the National Center for State Courts, annual salaries of associate justices of States' highest courts averaged $120,100 in 2002 and ranged from about $89,381 to $170,319. Salaries of State intermediate appellate court judges averaged $116,064 and ranged from $91,469 to $159,657. Salaries of State judges of general jurisdiction trial courts averaged $109,811 and ranged from $82,600 to $150,000. |
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Additional Resources:
American Bar Association
750 North Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60611
www.abanet.org
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Information on the LSAT, the Law School Data Assembly Service, the law school application process, and the financial aid available to law students may be obtained from:
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Law School Admission Council
P.O. Box 40
Newtown, PA 18940
www.lsac.org
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National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Ave.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
www.ncsconline.org
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American Arbitration Association
335 Madison Ave.
Floor 10
New York, NY 10017
www.adr.org
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Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
www.bls.gov/oco
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Citation:
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition,
Lawyers, on the Internet at
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Judges, Magistrates, and Other Judicial Workers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos272.htm
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