What motivated you to pursue a career in law?

I am an attorney and I chose this profession for several reasons. It sounds cliche but the main reason I became an attorney was to help people. I felt that being an attorney would give me the necessary background and degree to reach out to people who needed help. I also really enjoy reading, writing, and analysis. I am an organized person and I like structure and order as well. I also enjoyed the study of law and learning about how an argument could be made on both sides of any case.

I was actually pursuing a career as a clinical psychologist (was in an PhD program) when I decided to change to law. I was also interested in helping people like Phi noted above, which is why I was pursuing a career as a psychologist. But, I found that I wanted to be able to help people in more of an advocacy role than I could as a psychologist. Law seemed to be a good fit. I took a bit of a leap of faith, left graduate school, and went to law school. Turned out to be a great choice. Not only have I found a career that allows me to be an advocate, I have found a career that allows me to constantly learn and grow. In my legal career, I have primarily represented companies. So, not only have I needed to understand the law, I've needed to understand my client's business. That has allowed me to learn so much about different businesses and industries, as well as the diverse areas of law that impact my clients. If you want a career that allows for lifelong learning, law is a good one.

During my undergraduate school, I had a co-op job working at a publishing company doing copyright permissions (this involved writing letters and phone calls to authors to request permission to reprint their works, negotiating rates, etc.) I eventually took a full time job at the company after school ended. I decided then that I wanted to be an intellectual property lawyer. I went to law school and focused my coursework on intellectual property (copyrights, patents, trademarks, and software licensing). I eventually got a job at a company doing software licensing contracts and that has been my niche. I would always advocate trying internships, co-ops, contract temp jobs doing different things you think you might be interested in. These opportunities will help you decide if something is the right fit that you want to pursue. Good luck, I hope you find your niche.

Disclaimer - Not a JD

As a child, I dreamed of Harvard Law. Yet I was in foster care and there was not much hope that I would attend college, much less Harvard. I was fortunate to stumble in to a career that is in Administrative Law. In 1991, I happened across a company that needed a warm body as their Legal and Regulatory Director. I was able to use that opportunity to catapult in to a career in Administrative Law.

Mid career, I had to go to school. My undergrad is from NYIT. When it was time, I studied Law and Public Policy in my Graduate program. Much of what I do in my career is normally done by attorneys. I have been asked the question a million times, why don't you become an attorney? The answer is simple. I can't afford to....

If I could, I would go. I would probably starve because of the number of pro bono cases I would take. The law is a fascinating field of study. Positive impacts can be made on a daily basis by lawyers. And as stated by Sheila, law is ever changing and therefore, you must be ready to learn on a lifelong basis. I would encourage you to go. It is a privilege in my opinion.

Best of luck to you!!

I was a scientist before becoming a lawyer. One reason I became a lawyer is that I discovered that my strengths were in analyzing problems and advising others. Being a lawyer can require a wide range of skills and unexpected challenges. To illustrate the range, in one day, a lawyer may have to study the fine print of a form to make sure all the details are correct and also advise her client about the general legal risks of embarking on a particular business strategy.

I chose law as I thought it would be a great way to use my skills in languages, communication and debating in the best way, and almost 20 years later I am not disappointed with my choice. I chose law because I am an organised and analytical person, and wanted a job where I had a lot of interaction with others.

Studying law is very challenging, but teaches you a great deal of discipline which is incredibly valuable to you and to future employers - they will already know you're able to work hard and achieve your goals!

Being a lawyer is a great opportunity to be an expert in something and use your skills to make a difference to people's lives. Whatever field you choose, it is rewarding.