Becoming a lawyer is not an easy process, and it takes a lot of time, a lot of passion, and a lot of commitment. If you're considering Law as a career option but are unsure what the benefits of pursuing it are, we've put together some of what we consider the most compelling reasons why you should study Law.
Provide Legal Help For Those Who Need It
Studying Law helps you to join the legions of professional lawyers who provide vital legal support for people in need of it. Without lawyers, many people would be unlawfully imprisoned or fined for minor discrepancies or misunderstandings. It's important to feel like you have someone on your side, which is a big part of the lawyers' services.
Grow Your Critical Thinking Skills
Being a lawyer means you often have to think on your feet. No matter how much you prepare for a case, your opponent can throw a curveball at any moment – you need to know how to think quickly and protect your client with well-researched information.
Being a lawyer enhances and engages your critical thinking skills. The constant need for analysis opens your mind to a new way of engaging with stimuli, allowing you to take in the world around you with more critical thought and insight.
Perfect Your Public Speaking
It can be daunting when you first stand up to speak in front of a courtroom full of people, a judge and a jury. However, once you can master speaking to a court, you can master speaking to anyone.
Your abilities to present evidence are transferable to presenting skills and can aid you in other areas of life, such as board meetings or public speaking conventions.
Your public speaking grows your confidence; you'll often feel much more confident once you've practised speaking to an audience.
Fight For What You Believe In
One of the main benefits of Law is choosing which sector you want to work in based on what you're most passionate about. Firms want to hire lawyers who care about what they're fighting for, so you stand a better chance of finding a job if you specialise in an area of Law that matters to you. Some of the main sectors of Law are:
- Criminal Law – Criminal lawyers either work in prosecution or defence. They maintain the justice system by either fighting to put a criminal behind bars to protect the public (prosecution) or trying to prevent them from going to prison by proving their innocence (defence).
- Environmental Law – this area of Law focuses on environmental issues. It ranges from everything from issues such as noise pollution to world climate change laws.
- Family Law – family lawyers, handle family troubles such as divorces, domestic violence, child custody and support. It's a role that requires a lot of empathy but can make a huge difference in repairing people's lives.
- Human Rights Law – this area of Law protects people from losing their human rights. It covers equality, discrimination, freedom of speech and prisoners' rights. You can practise it on an individual level or a much larger scale, defending groups of people who have suffered gross injustice.
- Media Law – a new area of Law that focuses on new media, including advertising, broadcasting, digital media, film, marketing, music, publishing and television. Media lawyers may deal with disputes such as contacts for actors, copyright claims, defamation claims and privacy breaches.
These are only a few areas and subareas of lawyers that are needed. If you have a passion for a specific issue, there will be a type of Law that you can focus on to fight for it.
Opportunities For Career Growth
It may take a lot of work to become a lawyer, but once you get your degree, you'll find plenty of opportunities for career growth as you climb the ladder. Some of the roles you can progress to include:
- Barrister – Barristers provide their clients with specialist legal advice that helps them fight in court. They will advise clients on the strength of their case and represent them in court, arguing for their rights.
- Judge – A Judge is one of the most important legal roles. It is their job to look at all the evidence presented by both sides of the case and the jury's view and make a ruling. When it comes to criminal Law, this can make the difference between setting someone free and sentencing them to life in prison.
- Law Lecturer – once you've worked in the field for a substantial amount of time, you may be offered a residency or career as a lecturer at a higher education institution. This allows you to pass on your knowledge and inspire the next generation of legal professionals.
Substantial Income
Due to the long process of becoming a lawyer, most people won't just do it for the money; however, it is a benefit. In 2022, the U.S Bureau Of Labor Statistics cited being a lawyer as one of the highest paying jobs, with Judges making the top 20 best paying jobs in the country.
