Life at a Law Firm-The Ups and Downs and the Ins and Outs of Both Large and Small Firms
Even before law school begins, many students dream of working at a law firm. Most law firms offer relatively high salaries, interesting work, prestige, and the opportunity to flex legal muscles in a courtroom setting. Three ''official'' categories of law firms exist: large firms, having 251 or more attorneys; medium-sized firms, having 51 to 250 attorneys; and small firms, having fewer than 50 attorneys. However, these designations are purely arbitrary. For example, a firm in New York City might have 300 attorneys and only be considered a medium-sized New York firm, while a firm in Salt Lake City might have 100 attorneys and be considered a large Salt Lake firm. Law firm stereotypes have followed these general preconceptions: large law firms are competitive, impersonal, high paying, prestigious, and hour-intensive with gradual opportunity for client contact and real responsibility for cases. Smaller law firms are collegial, family-oriented, low paying, and mentor-accessible. Additionally, small-firm attorneys work reasonable hours and have added responsibility, increased client contact, and greater opportunity for partnership. Although these stereotypes may contain a grain of truth, in the final analysis these descriptions are just broad generalizations. Law firms are as varied as the attorneys that practice in them. Small firm ''sweat shops'' exist where the partners seem only to care about their share of the profits, as do large firms that place family, community, and social obligations high on their list of priorities. Medium-sized firms may have characteristics of both large and small firms. Thus, it is important to look beyond the common stereotypes before deciding which law firm fits your career goals. MORE
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Breaking Away from the Norm-Nontraditional and Non-Legal Careers
Although definitions may vary, a traditional law career is generally defined as one that requires as prerequisites a Juris Doctor degree and bar certification. Obviously, this definition covers only a very small number of jobs-thousands of jobs fall under the ''nontraditional'' or ''non legal'' career umbrellas. A nontraditional job deals with legal or quasi-legal issues on a regular basis. For example, although a politician is not actually practicing law and does not need bar certification to work, a law degree helps him or her draft clear, effective legislation. MORE
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Public Interest Practice-The Ins, the Outs, and the Methods
The term ''public interest law'' is often used to refer to legal areas that focus on and affect public interest issues. Public interest practice includes those organizations representing the public either as attorneys for governmental units or as attorneys for nonprofit organizations. This is a diverse sector of the legal services market and encompasses virtually every area of substantive legal work, including advocacy to influence public policy or legislation. MORE
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Law Firm Life
Legal Authority Gets More Attorneys Jobs Inside Law Firms Than Any Other Source. We Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job. MORE
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The In-House Position Maze
Attorneys have traditionally gone in-house by accepting an offer from one of their clients (or a client of their firms). Nevertheless, unless specifically asked by a client to work for his/her company, traditional methods of searching for an in-house position might not produce the desired results. If you were to ask one of your firm's clients if you can work for his/her company, how does that make your current firm look? What if your request gets back to your current law firm? MORE
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In-House Law Jobs
Looking for the perfect in-house position? Our database contains every in-house legal department in the United States and abroad. (For American attorneys relocating abroad, we generally recommend that they approach only U.S. companies, due to compensation and other issues which can be complicated in any international relocation.) We can cover a specific city or the entire nation. Our job at Legal Authority is to ensure that we put your name in front of every company that may need an attorney like you. MORE
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Academic Positions
Yes… you can be a college professor if you are already a lawyer. Your law degree provides you entry into academic life beyond just the teaching of law. Your degree provides you with sufficient academic stature to teach almost any subject in which you have a background. MORE
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Clerkships
''The year I spent as a clerk was the most intellectually challenging and relaxing year of my legal career.'' -Former law clerk MORE
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