Lawyers provide advice and representation for individuals, businesses, and organizations on legal matters. Their research, analytical, drafting and advocacy skills help protect clients’ rights by advocating on their behalf in negotiations for settlements or resolutions that meet them.
After graduating law school, it’s essential that you determine what area of law most resonates with you and aligns with your career goals. Gaining exposure through internships, externships or volunteer work is an invaluable way to explore various practice areas and determine your preferred specialization.
Law Firms
Law firms range from solo attorney practices to large full-service organizations employing numerous attorneys and staff members, offering services nationwide or globally.
Firms often establish branch offices dedicated to particular types of legal work or client industries. Each geographic location often boasts its own culture and policies regarding work/life balance and culture.
As is true in any business, mergers, acquisitions and divisions between law firms may occur and these events can have profound ramifications on staffing levels and overall firm focus and resources.
Partnership and profit-sharing structures within law firms may lead to high turnover rates among paralegals and administrative support staff who are not lawyers or partners, particularly if billable quotas must be met and long hours are worked; staff may become disenthused from pushing themselves toward meeting billable quotas – this can cause burnout, high turnover rates and low morale among non-attorney staff and attorneys.
In-House Counsel
An in-house counsel typically works for one company rather than multiple clients, offering everything from risk management and corporate transactions to general legal advice and assistance. An ideal in-house attorney would become part of their employer’s internal operations by building strong relationships within departments within it in order to offer proactive legal assistance that helps the entire enterprise flourish.
Many lawyers transition into in-house positions after spending some time at a law firm, often finding more flexibility in their schedules without tracking billable hours – meaning fewer all-nighters or missed vacations!
In-house counsel can work either with a team or alone depending on their employer’s needs, requiring expert-level time management skills in order to balance their workload and meet deadlines without missing them. Furthermore, it’s vital that they possess extensive knowledge about your company’s business, industry and growth strategies so as to provide holistic advice that considers both legal and business implications when providing advice.
Government Attorneys
Government attorneys specialize in numerous areas. Litigators often work for agencies like the DOJ, handling lawsuits and depositions; advisory lawyers offer drafting, analysis and advice for regulatory bodies like FDA; federal agency jobs offer geographic flexibility. While Big Law lawyers tend to remain in major cities only; government attorneys work nationwide. Many federal offices also provide loan repayment assistance programs which enable prospective government attorneys to manage their student debt more easily.
While many may be familiar with public defenders and district attorneys, other branches of government law include state/county Attorney General’s offices (each state’s legal arm for both criminal and civil litigation), city law departments (handling municipal matters), and executive branch agencies such as White House or Congress agencies. Local and state agencies frequently offer summer internship programs for students; additionally there are pro bono legal services offered for people employed within government.
Nonprofit Organizations
Feeding the hungry, providing disaster relief, conducting research or housing the homeless are among the many charitable nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving society. Each of these groups typically have a specific mission or charity purpose and offer tax-exempt status for donations made. Some examples include Feeding America, United Way Worldwide and Salvation Army.
Nonprofit organizations operate differently from for-profit corporations, meaning their employees could fall under wage and hour laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act. A nonprofit attorney can help their client comply with all employment laws to ensure their business operates legally.
Nonprofit lawyers offer counsel on business transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. They can act as general counsel, create client policies and outline corporate procedures and operating programs. Furthermore, nonprofit attorneys provide assistance with intellectual property registrations as well as enforce copyright and trademark enforcement. Furthermore, they review special rules related to dissolution and asset transfers under New York nonprofit law and offer counsel accordingly.