If you’re getting close to graduating from high school, then you will probably need to think about what’s going to come next for you. You may feel like you want to go to college or trade school. If you do go to college, then you will want to choose a path that you feel matches your particular skill set.
Maybe you will get into the legal niche. Becoming a lawyer appeals in many instances. We’ll talk about some reasons why you may want to go in this direction in your career right now.
You Can Potentially Make a Good Deal of Money
You may choose to become a lawyer because of how much money you can potentially make. For instance, maybe you will get into personal injury law. Maybe you will become a car accident lawyer. Oklahoma saw more than 9,000 car accidents in 2021, and more populated states usually have even more.
You can often get into areas of the law that can bring in even more money than personal injury. You might get into criminal defense. That can bring in huge fees if you become reputable and in demand in this niche.
Maybe you will get into business law instead. A company might willingly pay you a huge hourly rate for your expertise. You can give them advice on their business practices and draw up contracts for their various dealings.
You Will Likely Have Job Security
If you become a lawyer, you will probably have job security as well. It is true that some areas of the law will yield more work than others, but you can almost always find work if you’re skilled at what you do.
For instance, maybe if you get into business law then you will work for one company exclusively. They might have you on retainer if they need you often.
If you do something like personal injury law, then you might have individuals approaching you all the time, wanting you to represent them. If you do entertainment law, and you become well known in Hollywood, then you might have potential clients contacting you all the time as well.
You Can Enjoy Prestige and Respect
If you become a lawyer, then you can also enjoy the sense of respect and prestige that comes with that. It’s true that some attorneys don’t get that respect if they represent individuals who commit crimes. Criminal defense lawyers might get a negative reputation, at least in some circles.
If you do something like environmental law, though, then you can feel that you’re making a difference and that you’re doing good in the world. If you stand up for the downtrodden by helping them to sue corporations that harmed them or their family members, that should get you some respect as well.
When you go home to your family at night, your spouse and kids might tell you that they’re proud of you. They might understand that you’re making the world a better place.
You might belong to exclusive clubs as well. You may decide to get into politics eventually. Some notable individuals went from the legal niche to becoming massively popular and influential politicians. Think about Barack Obama or Abraham Lincoln.
You Have Many Different Paths Open to You
You can also get into many different career fields if you become a lawyer. We’ve mentioned how you can get into criminal defense. However, you may also get into criminal prosecution.
If you become an ADA or a DA, then you can argue high-profile cases. You can try to get dangerous criminals off the streets.
If you want to get into the business side of the law, then you can sell your services to the highest bidder or make yourself available to just one company. You might do personal injury law and represent individuals who desperately need your help.
Also, if you work in one area of the law for many years, then you can always branch off and go in a dramatically different direction if you want. We’ve mentioned politics, but some lawyers become teachers later in their careers as well.
You might become a law professor and teach at a university. You can teach young up-and-coming would-be lawyers about the legal niche in which you specialized. You can talk about your most famous or infamous cases and explain how they turned out.
This way, you can see a tangible impact that you are making on the younger generations. You can shape bright young minds that will carry on your legacy once you retire.
You might go from being a lawyer to a judge. If you have the benefit of years of experience, then you may feel that is how you can conclude your career.
You Can Argue for a Living
If you become a lawyer, and you become a prosecutor or enter the criminal defense niche, then you can argue for a living. Maybe you joined the debate team at a young age to practice that. Perhaps you loved arguing with your siblings or your parents.
Some of the best lawyers like nothing better than getting the opportunity to stand up in front of a judge and jury wearing their best outfit. You may feel like you can convince a jury of anything, and you can use your legal expertise to back up what you say.
Being a lawyer will not appeal to everyone, but many individuals of all temperaments will find that it’s just the life for them. However, getting there will take a lot of hard work and dedication.
While you’re studying to pass the bar, you might start to plan out your career strategy. You can think about whether you would like to join a well-known firm or start your own.
You can also find likeminded people this way. You might make friends while studying to become a lawyer who you will stay in touch with for the rest of your life.
