Just like in many countries around the world, the legal profession in the US includes the profession of a lawyer, a legal professional of a business, a legal expert of administrative agencies, a teaching profession in law schools, a judge or a lawyer. Prosecutors. In particular, lawyers in the US are considered popular and have the highest salaries, so many people want to become lawyers.
- Lawyer profession is very popular and has high salary but it is difficult to succeed
There are many reasons for the large number of lawyers and the highest salaries in the United States. First, the US is the most litigation-loving country in the world, so the number of lawyers in the US is very large. People can sue on any matter they think requires legal intervention. Second, even if they don’t sue anyone, many transactions in society need to go through a lawyer if they want to be sure. You need a lawyer from very small things like traffic violations, tax returns, to divorce, inheritance, contract transactions… Of course, the cost of hiring a lawyer is very high. For example, if you are speeding and get caught by the police and you want to ask for a lawyer, the cost depends on the severity and the state in which you violate the price range from at least $300 or more.
According to a survey by the American Bar Association (ABA), just over 50% of lawyers are satisfied with their profession. Among lawyers with 6-9 years of experience, only 4/10 lawyers say they are satisfied with their career, with lawyers practicing for 10 years or more, this rate is 6/10 . Out of nearly 800 respondents, 80% said that they were very proud of their profession, 81% commented that this is a profession that requires a lot of intelligence.
The above figures show that lawyers are only satisfied with their profession when they are old, simply because when their career develops, they need to take more responsibility to maintain their reputation as well as take that as a guarantee for their work. change careers after a few years. However, only 42% of lawyers practicing for 10 years or more recommend that young people choose a career in law, with lawyers practicing for less than 3 years, this rate is 57%.
Many lawyers underestimate the training of law students in the US, 54% of the lawyers polled agree with the statement that training at law schools is very poor. Law students are not fully informed about the demands of the profession.
Many experts also voiced warnings about the ethics of the legal profession. In recent years, litigation fees have increased, there are more and more unfair expressions among lawyers, the cause according to experts is due to competition to win clients. That leads to lawyers more interested in money than their main job is to solve problems for clients. “They aim to win at all costs, which leads to “disrespectful” behavior towards each other and further costs the litigation process.”
- Conditions to become a lawyer in the US
In the United States there is no distinction between a solicitor and a defense attorney. Usually they are called a lawyer, while defending is called an attorney. Attorneys operate under the control of the Supreme Court of the State in which they practice. Unlike those who teach in law schools, and corporate jurists are not subject to court control, but are almost always members of the Bar Association of some State, not necessarily the State in which they are employed. work.
Eligibility to become a lawyer in the States is not the same. A person recognized as a lawyer in the States may practice only in that State, and before Federal courts. Any attorney can be registered on the bar list (and pay a small tax). Currently, in many States, to practice as a lawyer must pass an examination held under the control of the court. In a quarter of states in the United States, a college degree is a necessary but not sufficient condition for becoming a lawyer.
The majority of US attorneys practice on their own behalf (70%) or in association with only one other colleague (15%). However, in big cities, lawyers usually work in a Law Office consisting of between 10 and 200 lawyers. A small number of lawyers, specializing in litigation, participate in pre-trial proceedings (interrogation and treason) in civil and criminal cases. Others follow the same specialty as French public lawyers. The majority of lawyers work outside the field of litigation, performing similar roles as notaries, legal consultants, and tax consultants. Many lawyers are employed in administrative agencies, public or private enterprises.
However, becoming a lawyer is not easy. Most states require a law degree as a prerequisite (some states that do not require a law degree are California, Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming and they may self-study while doing an internship in a law office). The current trend is that fewer and fewer people self-study to become a lawyer and of course, getting admission and completing a law program is not easy at all.
Read more about lawyers at Lawyer Houston.