Aristotle proclaimed that, “The law is reason free of passion”, and becoming a lawyer has been the career destination for young people from all walks of life for centuries. It is no accident that most of the major political leaders over the last 300 years had their academic and professional grounding in the law – George Washington may have been the first President, however the trend for lawyers to be selected as the nation’s leader is clear – John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison (who studied law but never passed the bar) and the list continues.
Becoming a lawyer is rightly viewed as a stepping stone to a successful and wealthy future or as a springboard into many other careers in politics and public service and commerce, both at home and overseas. The practice and application of law permeates every facet of society and no lawyer specialized in all of the law – so how do you choose the right path for you?
Becoming a Lawyer: A Humanistic Perspective on Legal Education and Professionalism
By Elizabeth Dvorkin
Many are attracted to the practice of law because they see an opportunity to contribute to creating a more fair and just society. The civil rights movement transformed American society, but it was the lawyers who worked in and out of the courts who allowed reforms to go forward.
This book uses most of the enclosed chapters to discuss and explore humanistic issues which are followed by commentaries from numerous lawyers to espouse their views on what it means to be a lawyer in the context of the issues raised by that chapter. This book also covers how taking a humanistic approach in career choice and throughout a lawyers legal education, will improve the reputation of the profession, of individual lawyers and for society as a whole.
Law School Confidential (Revised Edition): A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students
By Robert H. Miller
What is it really like during those three hard years of law school? This book answers many of the questions a potential law school candidate will have on what is actually happening at a variety of law schools around the country. How important is it to find and experience legal work through internships? What can you expect from your first days in law school? What are the real-life experiences of law school undergraduates as they go through three years of highly intense study? What attributes does a prospective candidate need to get through law school?
For all of these issues and much more, this is a great source of real-life information and advice.
Careers in Law
By Gary Munneke
This book is aimed at those thinking of attending law school, law school undergraduates and new lawyers looking for career guidance and advice. What marks this book out is how it deals with specific areas of the legal profession and its coverage of the career avenues within them.
Different fields of the law and its application require different specialist experience and training, and this book outlines how you can tailor your own law school experience to place you in the best position for admittance to your preferred field. There is also excellent coverage of the professional and personal demands which are placed on lawyers working in specific fields both within the profession and out in commerce, industry and public service.
The Lure of the Law: Why People Become Lawyers, and What the Profession Does to Them
By Richard Moll
This is written and published in the early 1990′s and is based on the author’s experience as the Dean of Admissions at a leading law school. In some respects it is dated and the commentary is not that of a lawyer himself, but in some respects this helps. People who wish to follow the law as a career do so for a variety of reasons, but how many lawyers actually find they have achieved what they initially set out to do? How many lawyers are actually happy with their career after years building their reputation and achieving their positions? Does the practice of law change you as a person, and if so, is this for the better?
A thought provoking commentary on lawyers and the legal careers which ought to be made required reading before admission to law school.
Becoming a Trial Lawyer
By Steven Grossman
For those embarking on a legal career, most aspire to becoming one of the legal ninjas of the profession – a trial lawyer.
Trial lawyers are intellectual mercenaries who operate in the most charged and frightening environment – the court, but this volume demonstrates the amount of preparation and time spent outside of court that goes into creating a reputation as a successful trial court lawyer.
This is an essential book for those seriously contemplating a career in the courtroom and covers advocacy skills, courtroom situations and tactics, deposition taking skills, the increasing role of courtroom technology and much more.
By Lawrence Reaves
