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)