What are the benefits and disadvantages of becoming a lawyer?

I am just a law student entering my second year, but many of the negative aspects I have heard other lawyers in the public sector talk about are the following:
- low pay
- lots of competition for jobs
+ work that they are passionate about
+ smart, interesting co-workers
+ better work-life balance than lawyers who work at big firms
+ good government benefits/vacation
That's a start, and I will let the practicing lawyers on CareerVillage give you the inside scoop! Good for you for asking these questions early!

There are an abundance of advantages for being in the legal field; however, the biggest disadvantage is globalization. The American Bar Association has agreed to allow American Companies to offshoring legal counsel to third world companies to cut cost. The offshore legal groups must comply with the confidentiality clauses for these relationships to work.

One thing to consider is that many of the most financially successful lawyers don't practice law. If your training so far is in broader, liberal arts studies, then realize that law classes are very focused so you learn certain building blocks that will serve you well in any legal career you may choose, including criminal law, or in general business.

Many people think they want to go to law school, and I believe the best thing to do is check it out. If it is not what you expected, some of the tough, but critical first year classes such as contracts, torts, etc. will give you good skills that you can use in any field.

The main issue with the career is over-saturation, even small towns of less than 10,000 people have several firms that cover dozens of law specializations, the biggest obstacle you will get is finding work to do if you go private practice or having to compete with hundreds of applicants for a Public Defender or Deputy Prosecutor position.

If you can cope with a saturated job market you'll be fine.

Being a lawyer is a challenging but rewarding career! There are many different kinds of law, and it can be difficult to generalize about the advantages and disadvantages across types, but for the most part, being a lawyer is like getting paid to solve puzzles. Every case presents a new question that you have to solve using only your brain, your ability to predict and counter the moves of your opponent Ike chess or fencing), and your desire to obtain the best result for your client. You have to like arguing, research, and writing!

The major disadvantages are that it's a lot of work (long weekdays and work on weekends), and it can be a lot of time sitting in front of a computer doing legal research.