Advanced law degrees

Advanced law degrees may be desirable for those planning to specialize, perform research, or teach. Some law students pursue joint degree programs, which usually require an additional semester or year of study. Joint degree programs are offered in a number of areas, including business administration or public administration.

After graduation, lawyers must keep informed about legal and nonlegal developments that affect their practices. In 2008, 46 States and jurisdictions required lawyers to participate in mandatory continuing legal education. Many law schools and State and local bar associations provide continuing education courses that help lawyers stay abreast of recent developments. Some States allow continuing education credits to be obtained through participation in seminars on the Internet.



"It is unfair to believe everything we hear about lawyers. Some of it might not be true."
- Gerald F. Lieberman

Clinical programs

A number of law schools have clinical programs in which students gain legal experience through practice trials and projects under the supervision of lawyers and law school faculty. Law school clinical programs might include work in, for example, legal-aid offices or on legislative committees. Part-time or summer clerkships in law firms, government agencies, and corporate legal departments also provide valuable experience. Such training can lead directly to a job after graduation and can help students decide what kind of practice best suits them. Law school graduates receive the degree of juris doctor (J.D.), a first professional degree.

"He who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client."
Proverb

Courses

During the first year or year and a half of law school, students usually study core courses, such as constitutional law, contracts, property law, torts, civil procedure, and legal writing. In the remaining time, they may choose specialized courses in fields such as tax, labor, or corporate law. Law students often gain practical experience by participating in school-sponsored legal clinics; in the school’s moot court competitions, in which students conduct appellate arguments; in practice trials under the supervision of experienced lawyers and judges; and through research and writing on legal issues for the school’s law journals.

"The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law."
-Jeremy Bentham

Acceptance to law schools

Acceptance by most law schools depends on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate an aptitude for the study of law, usually through undergraduate grades, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the quality of the applicant’s undergraduate school, any prior work experience, and sometimes, a personal interview. However, law schools vary in the weight they place on each of these and other factors.

All law schools approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) require applicants to take the LSAT. As of June 2008, there were 200 ABA-accredited law schools; others were approved by State authorities only. Nearly all law schools require applicants to have certified transcripts sent to the Law School Data Assembly Service, which then submits the applicants’ LSAT scores and their standardized records of college grades to the law schools of their choice. The Law School Admission Council administers both this service and the LSAT. Competition for admission to many law schools—especially the most prestigious ones—is usually intense, with the number of applicants greatly exceeding the number that can be admitted.



“Without adequate money going into education, you can't reform it,”
- Robert Duncan

Skills you will need

Although there is no recommended “prelaw” undergraduate major, prospective lawyers should develop proficiency in writing and speaking, reading, researching, analyzing, and thinking logically—skills needed to succeed both in law school and in the law. Regardless of major, a multidisciplinary background is recommended. Courses in English, foreign languages, public speaking, government, philosophy, history, economics, mathematics, and computer science, among others, are useful. Students interested in a particular aspect of law may find related courses helpful. For example, prospective patent lawyers need a strong background in engineering or science, and future tax lawyers must have extensive knowledge of accounting.

“You win some and you lose some, but you get paid for all of them.”

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Formal requirements to become a lawyer usually include a 4-year college degree, 3 years of law school, and passing a written bar examination; however, some requirements vary by State. Competition for admission to most law schools is intense. Federal courts and agencies set their own qualifications for those practicing before or in them.

Education and training. Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. Law school applicants must have a bachelor’s degree to qualify for admission. To meet the needs of students who can attend only part time, a number of law schools have night or part-time divisions.

"Make crime pay. Become a lawyer."
-Will Rogers 

A Lawyers work environment

Lawyers do most of their work in offices, law libraries, and courtrooms. They sometimes meet in clients’ homes or places of business and, when necessary, in hospitals or prisons. They may travel to attend meetings, gather evidence, and appear before courts, legislative bodies, and other authorities. They also may face particularly heavy pressure when a case is being tried. Preparation for court includes understanding the latest laws and judicial decisions.

Salaried lawyers usually have structured work schedules. Lawyers who are in private practice or those who work for large firms may work irregular hours, including weekends, while conducting research, conferring with clients, or preparing briefs during nonoffice hours. Lawyers often work long hours; of those who work full time, about 33 percent work 50 or more hours per week.

"A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns."
-Mario Puzo 

Technology used

Lawyers are increasingly using various forms of technology to perform more efficiently. Although all lawyers continue to use law libraries to prepare cases, most supplement conventional printed sources with computer sources, such as the Internet and legal databases. Software is used to search this legal literature automatically and to identify legal texts relevant to a specific case. In litigation involving many supporting documents, lawyers may use computers to organize and index materials. Lawyers must be geographically mobile and able to reach their clients in a timely matter, so they might use electronic filing, Web and videoconferencing, mobile electronic devices, and voice-recognition technology to share information more effectively.

"A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer."
- Robert Frost

Attorneys - levels of government

A significant number of attorneys are employed at the various levels of government. Some work for State attorneys general, prosecutors, and public defenders in criminal courts. 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.

Other lawyers work for legal aid societies—private, nonprofit organizations established to serve disadvantaged people. These lawyers generally handle civil, rather than criminal, cases.

What's the most common practices for a lawyer?

Most lawyers are in private practice, concentrating 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—concentrating on particular causes and choosing cases that might have an impact on the way law is applied. Lawyers sometimes are 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.

"I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five."
Stephen Wright

Nature of the work continued

The more detailed aspects of a lawyer’s job depend upon his or her field of specialization and position. Although all lawyers are licensed to represent parties in court, some appear in court more frequently than others. Trial lawyers spend the majority of their time outside the courtroom, conducting research, interviewing clients and witnesses, and handling other details in preparation for a trial.

Lawyers may specialize in a number of areas, such as bankruptcy, probate, international, elder, or environmental law. Those specializing in, for example, environmental law may represent interest groups, waste disposal companies, or construction firms in their dealings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal and State agencies. These lawyers help clients prepare and file for licenses and applications for approval before certain activities are permitted to occur. Some lawyers specialize in the growing field of intellectual property, helping to protect clients’ claims to copyrights, artwork under contract, product designs, and computer programs. Other lawyers advise insurance companies about the legality of insurance transactions, guiding the company in writing insurance policies to conform to the law and to protect the companies from unwarranted claims. When claims are filed against insurance companies, these attorneys review the claims and represent the companies in court.





“No brilliance is required in law, just common sense and relatively clean fingernails.”

Nature of the work

The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society, from buying a home to crossing the street. Lawyers form the backbone of this system, linking it to society in numerous ways. They hold positions of great responsibility and are obligated to adhere to a strict code of ethics.

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 about 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 clients.

Significant Points

About 26 percent of lawyers are self-employed, either as partners in law firms or in solo practices.
Formal requirements to become a lawyer usually include a 4-year college degree, 3 years of law school, and passing a written bar examination; however, some requirements may vary by State.
Competition for admission to most law schools is intense.
Competition for job openings should be keen because of the large number of students graduating from law school each year.

What is this job like?

Lawyers give people and companies advice and tell them what they can and can't do under the law. Sometimes, they hire lawyers to take their side in court against other people or companies, or against the government.

Lawyers spend a lot of time doing research. To be a good lawyer, a person must be good at finding facts in books, on computers, and in other places. Lawyers also interview people to get information.

After doing research, lawyers make arguments to show that the people they work for should win in court. Some lawyers speak in court, but many lawyers don't.

Lawyers also write legal documents like contracts and wills. They need to be very specific and well-written.

Lawyers do most of their work in offices, law libraries, and courtrooms. They sometimes meet in clients' homes or businesses. Some lawyers meet clients in hospitals or prisons. Lawyers often work long hours, especially during a trial in court.

Lawyer tv commercial.... SERIOUSLY!!

Just came across this and thought it was pretty funny...
ENJOY!

And finally, the top lawyer firm in the world!

Linklaters!

Linklaters LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenues. In 2009/10 it achieved total revenues of £1.18 billion and profits per equity partner of £1.2 million. As of April 2009, it employed approximately 2,260 legal advisers and 2,830 other staff across 26 offices in 19 countries.

Simon Davies has been the firm's managing partner since January 2008.



Well there you have it, the top 10 law firms in the world! 
Stay tuned tomorrow for an entirely new post! :D

2nd top lawyer firm

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (informally Freshfields) is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is the second-largest law firm in the world measured by revenues. In 2009/10 it achieved total revenues of £1.14 billion and profits per equity partner of £1.4 million. It has 27 offices in 16 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America and employs around 2,500 legal advisers. It advises national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments.

Ted Burke is the firm's current Chief Executive. 

Stay tuned for the top law firm in the world tomorrow!

Also, just like to thank D4 and BTN-Hip Hop for a Zombie and Sunshine award! 
I'd recommend checking out their awesome blogs!!

3rd top lawyer firm

Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue. In 2009/10 it achieved total revenues of £1.197 billion and profits per equity partner of £933,000. As of April 2009, it employed approximately 3,600 legal advisers and 3,200 business services staff across 29 offices in 20 countries.
David Childs has been Managing Partner since 2006.

Heres a link to their website http://www.cliffordchance.com/home.html

4th top lawyer firm

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates (often shortened to Skadden Arps, Skadden, or SASM&F), founded in 1948, is a prominent law firm based in New York City. With over 2,000 attorneys, it is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world. Forbes magazine calls Skadden "Wall Street's most powerful law firm". In most jurisdictions, the firm is organized as a limited liability partnership (LLP). The firm's best-known and infamous alumni include former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, and comedian Greg Giraldo. Chelsea Football Club's Chairman Bruce Buck is a Skadden partner.

Revenue: $2.2Bn

5th top law firm

Baker and Mckenzie

Baker & McKenzie is an international law firm, founded in Chicago in 1949 by Russell Baker and John McKenzie. It is home to more than 3,750 lawyers spread over 69 offices in 41 different countries.

As a transnational operation, no single nationality dominates the firm, and more than 80 percent of its lawyers practice outside the United States. The lawyers come from 60 countries and speak more than 75 languages, with English in common.

The firm saw US$2.104 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2010. As of 2006, Baker & McKenzie was the second largest law firm in the world by number of attorneys, Among U.S. firms, it was ranked the second largest by number of attorneys as of 2008 and, as of 2010, the largest by revenue. As of 2006 it was also the largest international law firm in Asia, with 14 offices, and in Latin America, with 16 offices.

6th top law firm!

Allen & Overy

Allen & Overy is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

A member of the UK's Magic Circle of leading law firms, Allen & Overy is widely considered to be one of the world's elite law firms, advising national and multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments.

Since its founding in 1930, Allen & Overy has grown to become one of the largest law firms in the world, both by number of lawyers and revenue. With approximately 5,000 staff and 36 offices worldwide, the firm provides legal advice in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Since 2008, Wim Dejonghe has been managing partner and David Morley senior partner.

Their revenue is estimated at £1.09 billion

7th top lawyer firm

Latham and Watkins

Latham & Watkins LLP is a global law firm, one of the largest in the world. Latham currently (as of April 2011) employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive Californian roots, but its largest office is now in New York City.

Latham has historically been one of the most profitable law firms. In 2007, Latham & Watkins became the first American law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue. Although firm revenue dropped in 2009, partner profits increased 5% after the firm laid off nearly 200 attorneys and 250 staff.

8th top law firm

Jones Day

Jones Day is an international law firm founded in Cleveland, Ohio on March 1, 1893, by Judge Edwin J. Blandin and William Lowe Rice. Jones Day is the eighth largest law firm in the world by revenue, and the fourth highest grossing firm in the US. It is currently the second largest law firm in the United States, with approximately 2,500 lawyers and gross annual revenue in excess of US $1.4 billion. The current managing partner, Stephen J. Brogan, is based in the firm'sWashington, D.C. office.

9th top lawyer firm

Sidley Austin!

Sidley Austin LLP, formerly known as Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, is one of the oldest law firms in the world. It is the sixth-largest U.S.-based corporate law firm with over 1,600 lawyers, annual revenues of more than one billion dollars, and offices in 17 cities worldwide, with the most recent addition of Palo Alto, California in December 2009. It is a full-service law firm, with broad experience in transaction and litigation matters. Its original predecessor firm was founded in 1866 and had former first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, then the widow of PresidentAbraham Lincoln, among its earliest clients. The firm was formed as the result of the merger of two firms: the Chicago-based Sidley & Austin, founded in 1866, and the New York-based Brown & Wood, founded in 1914. The merger was completed in May 2001. The firm's headquarters is at One South Dearborn in the Chicago Loop, Chicago.

As of 2006, it was the 9th largest law firm in the world (and 5th in the US) by revenue. In September 2010, it received the most First-Tier National Rankings in the inaugural Best Law Firms Survey by US News and World Report.

Top 10 Law firms in the world!

Right so, I've decided to keep the whole 'top 10' theme going and so for the next week and a half I'll be blogging on the top 10 law firms in the world!

So, at 10 we have...
'White and Case'

White & Case LLP is a large American law firm with over 2,000 lawyers in 37 officers in 25 countries and more than 4,800 staff.

White & Case was founded in New York in 1901. The firm has since expanded, and has practice groups in emerging markets including Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as in Europe.

White & Case clients incluse public and privately held businesses, and financial institutions, governments and state-owned entities. It works as a lobbyist for foreign governments.

At number one!

At number one of my favourite lawyer films/tv shows is...
Devil's Advocate!

Al Pachino and Keanu Reeves in the ultimate battle of Good versus Evil. Fantastic!

So there we are, my top 10 lawyer films/tv shows.

Stay tuned for a completly new post tomorrow!