Lawyer Essay, Research Paper
A day in the life of an attorney. Its said that its the last job
you’ll ever want. (source 1) Over thirty percent of lawyers
who receive their law degrees are not practicing law
regularly ten years after graduation. Attorneys can work up
to eighteen hours a day and more than three thousand
hours in a year on cases. (source 1) Lawyers also spend
time in law libraries or record rooms, in the homes and
offices of clients, and sometimes in jail cells. (source 22)
Some courts, such as small claims, family, or surrogate,
may have evening hours to provide flexibility to the
community. Criminal arraignments may be held at any time
of the day or night. Court hours are usually 9:00 – 5:00 with
a one hour lunch break for most lawyers and judges. (source
22) Many of them spend their first few years finding out if
they want to focus on transactional work or not like a district
attorney, prosecutor or probate lawyers. (source 1) The
number of people in the profession of an attorney are about
656,000, the percentage of them that are male is 70%. The
percentage of women is 30%. Average hours worked per
week is about 50,average starting salary $49,000, after 5
years $80,000, after 10-15 years $115,000. (source 1)
Lately salaries for lawyers have gone up. Law firms such as
Elkins L.L.P announced this summer it would offer rookie
attorneys $90,500 starting pay. (source 2) “We are all
competing for the same law students.” (source 2) Now most
of the other firms in Dallas decided that they must raise their
salaries by 20% In order to attract first rate lawyers. (source
2) These firms exceed more then 400 lawyers. (source 2)
For the first year,an inexperienced lawyer may be paid
$75,000. (source 2) The strong economy and growing
demand for lawyers in some corporate-law areas, such as
finance, litigation and health care, are driving the fee to
increases, Crocker said. (source 16) The key is getting the
top talent. If your firm doesn’t follow suit your firm will slowly
disintegrate. All of the smaller firms are the required to raise
their salaries also. (source 2) 46% of respondents rate them
low to very low in honesty and ethical standards. (source 3)
70% of lawyers polled in 1992 said if they could they would
choose another profession. (source 4) Other studies show
lawyers job satisfaction is dropping.There is a much higher
level of alcholism, drug abuse, and symptoms of depression
than those of the general population. (source 4) There is
also dirty work that lawyers must do. Some of that work
includes listening to the secrets of clients that practitioners
would rather not hear but which they must listen to and listen
to very carefully. Lawyers as a group have a lot of cynicism
and unease, often with good reason. (source 6) Whether
the defendant is a accused Unabomber, a nanny or an
Oklahoma City bombing suspect, the public craves insight
into the latest sensational tale. But when people tune in to
television’s lawyer-commentators, insight isn’t always what
they get. (source 10)