Lawyers get a bad reputation. I'm not living under a rock, I know these things too. Do I do some personal injury work? Yes. Do I do the occasional DUI? Yes. Do I help people get divorces? Yes. Do I get the morbid job of helping people plan for what will happen when they die? Yes.
Do I love my work? Yes.
I know what I'm getting into in this profession
(I'm sure I don't even know the half of it, but I have a good idea at least)
Think about it this way, in criminal work, your job is to make sure everyone gets a fair chance. People that drink and drive make me absolutely sick. If I could change the law, people that get DUI's should be taken out back and pushed in a well. However, you're making sure they get a fair trial, and that you are using the law in the proper fashion to do those things.
Am I helping couples split up? Procedurally, Yes. I'm not going to argue the "well if they didn't come to me, they would just go to someone else". I get to try to make people that are in very irrational states, act like a rational human being, often for the sake of their children.
In personal injury, yes, I am making a profit off of someone's unfortunate injury. However, I'm trying to help them walk through a system of procedures in order to help recovery monetarily for their loss. If I ever start doing it for a reason other than compassion for the client, I hope I quit.
Writing a will is just plain intriguing to me. Think of all the creative ways you could leave your worldly possessions. I'm helping these people make sure their loved ones get what the client wants, and in a tax efficient manner. I'm helping grandparents leave something to their beloved infant grandchild, and parents set up checks and balances for their kids that may not know how to save for their future without their parents.
I also get to help people run businesses, help siblings through the hard time of losing a parent, make sure grandparents can be guardians of their grandchildren in a time of crises, and walk the average joe through buying his first piece of commercial real estate.
I love what I do, and I hope that when I become a lawyer I'll love what I'm doing even more.
6 comments:
Amen to that! "I'm in law school" is such a conversation killer in some cases, people don't realize what kind of good work lawyers do every day
This a great post! Thanks!
missowlb.blogspot.com.au
I think you'll make a great lawyer who will make a difference to so many clients.
My dad is a lawyer. He's the director of the free legal aid office on our university's campus. Talk about a thankless job in most people's eyes, but just think how many students he has helped over his 35+ years there.
The few lawyers who earn the reputation for everyone else are the real problem. (And I speak from experience as my uncle was one of them until he got dis-barred.)
Great post!
Love your blog, thanks for sharing & I am looking forward to your future posts!! :)
It's a needed profession. Even defense lawyers, serve a great purpose to our justice system. My husband has been falsely accused of crimes and needed a defense lawyer. Trying to prove innocence is actually harder to prove then guilt. He ended up taking a plea, and our lawyer had to write an index card of what he was admitting to, so he didn't mess up. The judge had to believe my husband was guilty, even though my husband didn't do it. It was sad and a huge eye opener to how bad our system is.
For the divorces, just think if there weren't lawyers, and people couldn't divorce. I think the murder rate would go up, lol.
Found your blog on pinterest when I was googling "law student" (isn't it great?)
I've applied to law school for next year and I'm excited but I also feel frustrated when all I see is people saying "don't go to law school" or that they're miserable so it's really great to read someone's blog that actually likes it! haha!
I read in another post that you took care of finding a job at the beginning of this school year -- any advice? LOL - i haven't even gotten into a school yet but I'm thinking about this stuff!
have a great day!!
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