At a typical law firm, attorneys typically spend most of their time conducting research and drafting legal documents, attending court proceedings and meeting with clients about their cases.
Research various practice areas to determine which specialize in line with your interests and long-term career objectives. Gain exposure through internships, externships or volunteer works.
1. Courtrooms
Courtrooms provide an impartial setting for conducting most legal proceedings. Their size and configuration depend on the types of hearings scheduled within that courtroom – such as appellate courts which have different requirements than trial courts.
Judges typically sit on raised benches at the front of courtrooms, with witness stands nearby for witnesses to be easily seated and interrogated. There is also a clerk at their desk; these professionals often act as counsel or lawyers representing one side in any given case.
Other people present in a courtroom include a reporter who records everything that is said, as well as some form of interpreter for non-English speakers. Some individuals appear before courts without attorneys and represent themselves; this practice is known as acting pro bono.
2. Offices
Lawyers work for various employers. Law firms typically hire them, while companies also utilize them to ensure projects and transactions meet legal criteria. Furthermore, lawyers may act as consultants for businesses or lecture at undergraduate and law schools.
Office is derived from Latin “officium,” which translates to duty or service. An organization’s office serves as its center of operations and houses administrative personnel and executives who perform important tasks related to their specific areas of expertise – for example a bookkeeper is usually responsible for handling finances at a firm. Offices typically reside in commercial buildings; many have even converted traditional staid offices into loft-style spaces that combine past with contemporary aesthetics; this trend can especially be found in New York City where big law firms such as Sullivan & Cromwell and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom require offices that reflect their prestige – especially true where big law firms like Sullivan & Cromwell and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom need offices that reflect their prestige.
3. Government
Federal, state and local governments’ primary duties involve aiding in the interpretation and enforcement of laws, providing legal counsel for government officials and protecting citizens’ rights. Lawyers working within government can serve as public defenders, judges, legal advisors to corporations or legal advisors at regulatory agencies.
Federal and state/local government attorneys often enjoy more flexibility than their BigLaw counterparts in terms of location. “Students don’t appreciate the immense diversity of practice areas they can pursue at these levels,” according to one career adviser from Cardozo School of Law. Additionally, many federal agencies offer student loan repayment programs for new lawyers; plus you often get substantive work right from day one according to an alum of this practice area.
4. Nonprofits
Nonprofits provide legal professionals the chance to use their law degrees towards social change through nonprofit work. Working for such an organization can be highly satisfying, creating lasting change over generations.
Legal aid societies, amateur sports leagues, political or charitable organizations, private foundations and trusts, community development corporations, labor unions and professional associations are among the many non-profit entities which exist as tax-exempt with limited liability and can take many different forms.
When choosing a New York nonprofit lawyer, ensure they are members of the New York State Bar Association and inquire as to their case oversight capabilities. It is crucial that these lawyers possess clean records and communicate efficiently with clients; otherwise they won’t make for successful partnerships.
5. Business
Most large companies employ in-house lawyers that work exclusively for them. This type of attorney typically specializes in specific areas like intellectual property, antitrust or corporate finance – something bankers, oil companies, medical equipment manufacturers and tech firms all have in-house legal departments with full-time lawyers to cover them all.
Large businesses frequently employ lawyers on staff to work with government agencies on policy issues. Nonprofit, public policy agencies also hire legal staff for research and writing briefs – this work can be very fulfilling if advocacy is your passion – often paying more than private practice jobs!