California Colleges Saved for: Steven Erhard

Career Profile

Lawyer What They Do

Just the Facts

Represents clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law. This career is part of the Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security cluster Legal Services pathway.

Insider Info
Dig into the details and check out what people in this job have to say about their work.
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A person in this career:

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Insider Info

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Represents clients in court or before government agencies. Presents evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation. Selects jurors, argues motions, meets with judges and questions witnesses during the course of a trial. Studies Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases. Interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses. Presents cases in court and summarizes cases to a judge or jury. Prepares legal briefs and opinions, and files appeals in state and federal courts of appeal. Analyzes the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents. Examines legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit. Evaluates findings and develops strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.

Related Careers
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Administrative Law Judge, Adjudicator, and Hearing Officer Arbitrator, Mediator, and Conciliator Judge/Magistrate

Multimedia
Watch a one-minute video showing what it's like to work in this career or related careers Lawyers watch video Get QuickTime Player

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:
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You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less. Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

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Seeing clearly at a distance Seeing clearly up close Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others

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Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

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Irregular hours Overnight travel Overtime work

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
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Patent Attorney -- Represents clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice. Prosecutor -- Appointed by the government, a prosecutor enforces criminal laws and represents the victims of crime in court.

Is This For You?

Interests:
The following categories describe the work interests (compatible with Holland's Model) of people who tend to succeed in this career:

Your Interests:

The last time you took the Interest Profiler your Enterprising You are a "persuader". You like to sell things or ideas. Prestige and power are important to you. You like to use your results were: language skills to convince other people of your ideas. ENTERPRISING Investigative You are a "thinker". When you have a problem, you like to analyze it and look at different ways to solve it. You like to ARTISTIC work by yourself, and you don''t like explaining your ideas to other people. Artistic You are a "creator". You enjoy things like art, music and Take the Interest Profiler again. books, and express your feelings easily. You don''t like rigid rules and structure. Work Values: Work values are aspects of work that are satisfying to you. The following work values are generally associated with this career. Now that you know the work values for Achievement It's very important to you that your work allows you this career, would you like to find your to use your best abilities. You want to see the results of your work personal work values? and get a feeling of accomplishment. Independence It's very important to you that your work allows Try the Work Values Sorter. you to make decisions on your own. You want to try out your own ideas and work with little supervision. Recognition It's very important to you that your work satisfies your need for prestige and leadership opportunities, as well as opportunities for advancement. Tell me more about Work Values ...

Your Work Values:

Aptitudes:
Aptitudes reflect a person's ability to acquire skills and knowledge. The following aptitudes are important for success in this career:
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General learning ability Verbal aptitude Numerical aptitude General learning ability Top 10% Verbal aptitude Top 10% Numerical aptitude Top 10% Spatial perception Bottom third Form perception Bottom third Clerical perception Middle third

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Clerical perception Middle third Eye-hand coordination Bottom third Finger dexterity Bottom third Manual dexterity Bottom third

Tell me more about Aptitudes ...

Skills You Need

Basic Skills
The following skills are important for this career:
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Your Basic Skills:

Now that you know the basic skills for this career, would you like to find your personal basic skills?

Reading comprehension high (level 6) Try the Basic Skills Survey. Active listening high (level 6) Writing medium (level 5) Speaking high (level 6) Critical thinking high (level 6) Active learning medium (level 4) Learning strategies medium (level 3) Monitoring medium (level 4)

These skills are necessary but not as important:

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Mathematics low (level 1) Science low (level 1)

Tell me more about Basic Skills ...

Transferable Skills
Here's a list of skills used in this career that are also used in other careers. High level of skill required
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Your Transferable Skills:

Now that you know the transferable skills for this career, would you like to find your personal transferable skills? Try the Transferable Skills Checklist.

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Collecting information about laws and regulations Counseling and advising people Investigating data to solve problems Preparing technical or research reports Processing data on computers Studying and interpreting laws

Tell me more about Transferable Skills ...

Workplace Skills
Workplace skills are practiced activities that help people become successful in all kinds of careers. Here's a list of the workplace skills that are used in this career. High level of skill required
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Medium level of skill required

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Judgment and decision making Negotiation Persuasion Social perceptiveness Time management

Complex problem solving Coordination Management of personnel resources Service orientation

Tell me more about Workplace Skills ...

Improve Your Skills:

Skills are wonderful because you can always improve them! All it takes is a little hard work and motivation. So if you see that a career requires more skill than you currently have, don't worry it's always possible to learn more skills.

What To Learn
High School
What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security cluster Legal Services pathway.

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:
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Pre-Law Studies Law Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General Programs for Foreign Lawyers American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence Comparative Law Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law Health Law International Law and Legal Studies International Business, Trade, and Tax Law Tax Law/Taxation Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other

Education Level
Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations. First professional degree 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. To practice law in the courts of any State or other jurisdiction, a person must be licensed, or admitted to its bar, under rules established by the jurisdiction's highest court. All States require that applicants for admission to the bar pass a written bar examination; most States also require applicants to pass a separate written ethics examination. Lawyers who have been admitted to the bar in one State occasionally may be admitted to the bar in another without taking another examination if they meet the latter jurisdiction's standards of good moral character and a specified period of legal experience. In most cases, however, lawyers must pass the bar examination in each State in which they plan to practice. Federal courts and agencies set their own qualifications for those practicing before or in them. To qualify for the bar examination in most States, an applicant must earn a college degree and graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) or the proper State authorities.

Insider Info

Education
Law school is tough and you have to have high marks to get in. Once you're in, hard work will help set you apart from your classmates when it's time to search for a job. Jonathan Bida is a new lawyer who earned several awards for academic achievement while completing his law degree. "If you pay attention, if you have some modicum of interest in what you're doing, and you're committed to it, then I think you'll do well," he says of his law school experience. "I really can't see that I'm smarter than other people that I went to law school with. I think I worked harder than most." Experts say law school graduates who are willing to move to find jobs and who have a specialty will have the easiest time finding employment. Aspiring law students have to have a full, four-year degree before they start law school. Then, they must write an aptitude test (LSAT) to get into a law school. Law school is three years. At law school, they may attend specialized clinics or courses pertaining to a specific area of law. Finally, they must pass a bar examination administered by a state law society in order to become a licensed lawyer.

Extra Requirements

Voluntary certifications are available from the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) and the American Board of Certification (ABC). For additional information, visit these websites:
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http://www.abanet.org http://www.nbtanet.org

Money And Outlook

California Earnings
Average Annual Wage $153,480 Entry Annual Wage Entry Hourly Wage $73,950 $35.55 Average Hourly Wage $73.79 Median Hourly Wage $66.62

California Regional Earnings

California Metropolitan Areas Wages
Region Average Entry Level Experienced

Bakersfield-Delano MSA Chico MSA Fresno MSA Hanford-Corcoran MSA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD Merced MSA Modesto MSA Mother Lode Region Redding MSA Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA Salinas MSA Oakland-Fremont-Hayward MD San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta MSA Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA North Valley Region Stockton MSA Vallejo-Fairfield MSA Northern Mountains Region Visalia-Porterville MSA Yuba City MSA El Centro MSA Napa MSA Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos MSA San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine MD

$116,800 or $56.15/hr $67,060 or $32.24/hr $177,820 or $85.49/hr $92,790 or $44.61/hr $44,920 or $21.59/hr $131,220 or $63.09/hr $135,800 or $65.29/hr $68,720 or $33.04/hr N/A $151,730 or $72.95/hr $94,700 or $45.53/hr N/A $162,210 or $77.99/hr $74,170 or $35.66/hr N/A $95,990 or $46.15/hr $52,280 or $25.14/hr $136,320 or $65.54/hr $105,170 or $50.56/hr $45,700 or $21.97/hr $152,210 or $73.18/hr $86,610 or $41.64/hr $42,240 or $20.31/hr $120,480 or $57.93/hr $97,270 or $46.77/hr $58,050 or $27.91/hr $129,880 or $62.44/hr $118,020 or $56.74/hr $59,310 or $28.52/hr $179,790 or $86.44/hr $102,680 or $49.36/hr $35,290 or $16.97/hr $165,510 or $79.57/hr $141,800 or $68.17/hr $72,240 or $34.73/hr N/A $113,410 or $54.52/hr $52,940 or $25.45/hr N/A $138,270 or $66.48/hr $79,100 or $38.03/hr N/A $146,000 or $70.19/hr $81,160 or $39.02/hr N/A $126,080 or $60.61/hr $67,420 or $32.41/hr N/A $123,400 or $59.33/hr $62,090 or $29.85/hr N/A $98,670 or $47.44/hr $76,710 or $36.88/hr $141,540 or $68.05/hr $99,270 or $47.73/hr $54,060 or $25.99/hr $141,850 or $68.20/hr $93,890 or $45.14/hr $54,190 or $26.06/hr $118,130 or $56.79/hr $135,290 or $65.04/hr $70,130 or $33.72/hr N/A $104,630 or $50.30/hr $65,940 or $31.70/hr $139,000 or $66.83/hr $91,680 or $44.08/hr $47,650 or $22.91/hr $165,850 or $79.74/hr $154,480 or $74.27/hr $86,210 or $41.45/hr N/A $134,540 or $64.68/hr $64,120 or $30.83/hr N/A $184,770 or $88.83/hr $92,740 or $44.58/hr N/A $143,850 or $69.16/hr $81,680 or $39.27/hr N/A $149,080 or $71.67/hr $79,890 or $38.41/hr N/A

Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville MSA $126,660 or $60.89/hr $70,490 or $33.89/hr N/A

San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD $174,440 or $83.87/hr $95,000 or $45.67/hr N/A

National Earnings

Average Annual Wage $130,880 Average Hourly Wage $62.93 Note: variations in salaries reflect differences in size of firm, location, level of education and professional credentials. Where do these numbers come from?

California's Employment and Outlook (State-wide)

Outlook

Stable Annual growth rate is estimated to be 10% 86,700 were employed in this occupation

Job Openings 2,490 estimated annual job openings Employment

California's Regional Employment and Outlook

Regions with increasing outlook (over 20% growth rate expected)
Region Employment Projected Growth Rate Annual Openings (growth) Annual Openings (replacement) Annual Openings

Eastern Sierra Region Mother Lode Region

40 130

25% 23%

1 3

1 2

2 5

Regions with stable outlook (0 to 20% growth rate expected)

Region Employment Projected Growth Rate Annual Openings (growth) Annual Openings (replacement) Annual Openings

Oakland-Fremont-Hayward MD 5,430 North Coast Region Northern Mountains Region El Centro MSA Bakersfield MSA Hanford-Corcoran MSA Los Angeles-Long BeachGlendale MD Merced MSA North Valley Region Riverside-San BernardinoOntario MSA Sacramento-Arden ArcadeRosevile MSA San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos MSA San Francisco-San MateoRedwood City MD Stockton MSA 240 140 100 500 40 34,650 90 60 3,070 6,720 5,700 7,810 14,180 590

7% 8% 7% 10% 20% 0% 4% 11% 0% 11% 7% 11% 4% 8% 0% 10% 11% 3% 0% 12% 15%

36 2 1 1 10 135 1 1 95 23 76 21 66 1 7 3 1 4 6

102 5 3 2 9 1 647 2 1 159 57 126 107 146 265 11 5 6 5 6 8

138 7 4 3 19 1 782 3 2 254 80 202 128 212 266 18 8 7 5 10 14

Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine MD 8,500

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 270 MSA Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA 320 Redding MSA Vallejo-Fairfield MSA Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA 240 320 400

Oxnard-Thousand OaksVentura MSA Yuba City MSA Visalia-Porterville MSA

1,340 110 250

2% 9% 8%

3 1 2

25 2 5

28 3 7

Regions with decreasing outlook (negative growth rate expected)

Region Employment Projected Growth Rate Annual Openings (growth) Annual Openings (replacement) Annual Openings

Chico MSA Fresno MSA Modesto MSA Salinas MSA Napa MSA Santa Barbara-Santa MariaGoleta MSA

190 1,300 720 440 170 450

-5% -3% -8% -7% -6% -4%

4 24 14 8 3 8

4 24 14 8 3 8

National Employment and Outlook

Outlook

stable The employment change from 2010 to 2020 is estimated to be +10.1%. (The National average for all occupations is +13%)

Job Openings

small number A total of 21200 average annual openings are expected for this occupation between 2010 and 2020. (The National Average for all occupations is 7,242 openings)

Employment

large occupation This was a large occupation in the United States, employing 728,200 workers in 2010. (The National average for all occupations is 191,847 workers)

Growth

Average growth Averageemploymentgrowthisprojected,butjobcompetitionisexpectedtobekeen. Large concentrations of this occupation are found in these industries

Self-Employment In 2010, 21.6% of the people in this occupation were self-employed.

Industries

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Legal services (NAICS541100) (47.6%) Self-employed workers, primary job (NAICS000601) (25.6%) State and local government (11.6%)

Military Options
Get paid to get a career. That's what the military can offer you. Take a moment to review related potential military careers.

Lawyers and Judges (Officer)

Opportunities:
The services have about 3,800 lawyers and judges. Each year they need new lawyers and judges due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. In time, lawyers may advance to senior management positions in the legal field. With experience, some lawyers may be appointed military judges.

Training Provided:
A degree in law is required to enter this occupation. In addition, most specialties require a membership to the bar in either federal court or the highest court of a state. Military job training consists of classroom instruction. Training length varies depending on specialty.
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Methods of obtaining evidence Courts-martial advocacy techniques

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Military trial procedures Application of the Uniform Code of Military Justice

Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses.

Earnings:
Officers in the military can progress through ten officer pay grades during their careers. Pay grade and length of service determine an officer's pay. Most newly commissioned officers begin at pay grade O-1 ($34,516/year basic pay in 2013). With certain professional qualifications, officers may enter at a higher pay grade. After two years, officers generally move up to O-2 ($45,291/year basic pay in 2013). After an additional two years, the military generally promotes officers to O-3 ($61,398/year basic pay in 2013) if job performance and other requirements are met. Cost-of-living increases usually occur once a year. Many officers and their families live free of charge in military housing on the base where they are assigned. Those living off base receive a housing allowance in addition to their basic pay. Officers also receive a monthly food allowance. These allowances, and associated tax savings, are substantial additions to basic pay. Other employment benefits for military officers include free health care, 30 days paid vacation each year, legal assistance, education assistance, military store privileges, and an excellent retirement program.

Services offering this occupation

Air Force
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Air National Guard U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Reserve

Army
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U.S. Army U.S. Army National Guard U.S. Army Reserves

Coast Guard
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U.S. Coast Guard

Marines
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U.S. Marines

Navy
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U.S. Navy

Connections
Associations
American Bar Association 321 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654-7598 http://www.abanet.org National Association for Law Placement 1025 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 1110 Washington, DC 20036-5413 http://www.nalp.org

Internet Sites
American Bar Association http://www.abanet.org National Association for Law Placement http://www.nalp.org Myfuture.com http://www.myfuture.com

Related Career Information Sources

O*NET-SOC occupation Lawyers 23-1011.00 http://www.onetcenter.org/online.html SOC occupation Lawyers 23-1011 http://www.bls.gov/soc/socguide.htm Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

Military Career Opportunities

Air Force
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Air National Guard U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Reserve

Army
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U.S. Army U.S. Army National Guard U.S. Army Reserves

Coast Guard
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U.S. Coast Guard

Marines
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U.S. Marines

Navy
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U.S. Navy

Job Bank Links

Interviews
Insider Info
Don't believe everything you see on TV shows like Law and Order. There's more to being a lawyer than going to court and asking dramatic questions. In fact, it's a competitive business about making things work between people. Jonathan Bida is a new lawyer who finished his year of articling in the spring of 2007. He's now working at a small litigation firm that focuses on commercial and civil litigation. Bida gave a lot of thought to what kind of firm he wanted to work at. He chose a small firm with an excellent reputation. Not only does Bida get to work closely with senior lawyers, he is also trusted with more responsibility. "When you work in a smaller firm, the senior lawyer just can't do everything, so almost by necessity you

end up having more responsibility," says Bida. Bida has an undergraduate degree in engineering. Law schools accept students with a wide variety of degrees. As long as you get excellent marks, it doesn't matter what your first degree is in. Bida was halfway through his undergrad degree when he thought of going to law school. He says the main reason was that he "liked arguing over issues." He had done debating in undergrad and thought he'd make a good lawyer. On a typical day Bida works from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. However, the workload can increase at times, and that means longer hours. "Everything in litigation is driven by deadlines," says Bida. "So if there's a motion I'm arguing then I'll take the time that's needed to prepare it, and if it means working until 12 o'clock at night then that's what it'll mean." Once in a while, Bida has to go into the office on a weekend. He also takes work home from time to time. This is not unusual for lawyers. Unlike Bida, Deanna Morash practiced at a large law firm after earning her law degree. "I was very happy in practice," says Morash, who is now director of career services at a law school. "I really enjoyed the substantive issues in labor and employment law. I did management side, so I think that's one practice area where you really develop an ongoing, strong relationship with a lot of your clients." Morash says the legal profession is big enough and diverse enough to accommodate many different types of personalities. Don't let TV shows and movies convince you that only highly aggressive showboats do well in law. "I know so many people who are such very different styles of individuals but who make it work in their own individual way," says Morash. "At the firm that I practiced at, there were many examples of people who fell on different points of the continuum of extrovertedeness and introvertedness... but still had very successful, thriving practices." Aspiring lawyers often wonder about the law school experience. How tough is it? How cutthroat is the competition? Will I survive it? "Law school was a challenging but extremely rewarding experience," says Morash. She admits that it's a very demanding environment. It can be competitive, although that competition is usually self-imposed. Some people drop out of law school, but it's rare to flunk out. "My experience was that the competitiveness is with one's self, and I think that applied to my peers as well," says Morash. "The people who tend to go to law school are people who've achieved a certain level of academic success and they obviously expect to continue, or hope to continue, that. "So, it becomes a bit stressful as a result of that, but at the same time it's rewarding because I found studying the law very interesting and I also found that there was a really interesting group of people who were doing it alongside of me." Once a law student enters the real world of legal practice, the stress is even greater and the hours even longer. Not everyone stays in the profession. Some lawyers experience burnout and decide to change careers. Some decide that a law career doesn't allow them to spend enough time with family and friends or to pursue other interests. "Some people will maybe leave private practice or leave a larger firm where there's a high target for annual billable hours because they just realize that, though they might love the work and the clients, their time with their family on the weekends, for example, is something that can't be compromised, so they have to readjust," says Morash. That readjustment might involve switching to a smaller firm with a lighter workload, or transitioning to a position in government or as an in-house corporate lawyer. Or it might involve getting a graduate degree and becoming a professor, or leaving the profession to start a business or become a consultant. But, despite the challenges of the profession, for many the practice of law becomes a long-term career in which the rewards outweigh the sacrifices. "The more senior people who... really seemed happy were in my estimation people who just loved what they did," says Morash. "They just liked the issues. They liked the files that came in and the problems that they had to solve. They really enjoyed thinking about those. "I think they also appreciate the element of advocacy, because it's not very often where you end up with a case where the answer is black and white," says Morash. "Because if it were, it wouldn't end up being a legal problem because somebody would have figured out the way the chips need to fall and just dealt with it before ever calling a lawyer. They call us when it's complicated and ambiguous and they can't figure it out on their own."

Real Life Activities

Insider Info

Real-Life Math

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Real-Life Math Activity

Real-Life Communication

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Real-Life Communication Activity

Real-Life Decision Making

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Real-Life Decision Making Activity

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