Is knowing a second language useful in the pursuit of becoming a lawyer?
I am 15 years old. I want to become a lawyer, I am currently taking Spanish. Spanish is become the second language lithe united states and I feel that by know both spanishnand English, I will not be limited to just english speaking clients.
8 answers
Gary’s Answer
Hi,
Yes, any second language that you learn will help you...especially Spanish. I just moved to the south most part of the US in Texas and I do not speak Spanish, I can tell you that it is hard living down here for me...I am older so it is not as easy to learn a new language for me but I am trying. Knowing spanish, or any other language, will help you in many ways...there is Immigration Law, which should become a busy field over the next few years. A lot of clients that get in trouble with the law are not bad people but, they just do not understand US and local laws and may not be from the USA so you can help them understand as well.
Good luck.
Hi, I ditto everything Gary said above. Also, the practice of law is becoming and more and more international these days, and so having a second language can be extremely useful when working with people from outside of the United States.
Amber Harezlak (Price), PhD
Thank you so much! I just want to make sure that I am on the right track. I will make sure that I continue with learning a second language.
Aerionna
thank yall so much for answering this! it was hard to find an answer for the question I needed!
Law Questioner
Yes, it would be very helpful to you in many ways... as the process expands your brain in certain ways. Leaning a second language helps you master you primary language as you need to compare differences.
Mark Leddy
This is really good stuff
Alex
This answer is really good
keerthana
As Mark Leddy says, learning a second language helps you master your primary, and expands your brain. As Amber says, law is becoming more international. You could find the field of immigration services, where you could have a lot of clients. Also, in response to Gary, I could assure you Spanish is probably one of the easiest of modern languages. As the Pope said, the pronunciation is pretty straightforward and the rules never change, grammar and spelling are a different story, but I can tell that because I have been speaking both English and Spanish since a very long time ago.
Christian
Maija’s Answer
Yes for second language learning! No matter the career a second language can open different opportunities that being mono-lingual.
Teresa’s Answer
Hi!
I am a lawyer and I can confirm that it is very useful. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world so you have chosen a great language to learn. Good luck!
David’s Answer
Speaking more than one language is useful in the majority of careers. Specifically in the field of law, you have already determined that it opens up another avenue of clientele. That is always good, not only for your law business, but as a service to more of the population. However, it also leaves you available to interview possible witnesses or subject matter experts that you may encounter in a case.
Being able to communicate is a necessary tool in all businesses and social interactions. The more languages you speak and understand the better.
Wow, this is cool
Alex
Wendy’s Answer
Hi Aerionna,
I speak Spanish and Portuguese and can definitely confirm that this has opened many doors for me in my career. I started as a Spanish teacher and then moved to the business world of Dell. Because of my language skills, I was able to work in our Latin American department and even was asked to live in Brazil for 3 years. I have had the opportunity to help many customers as well as improve our business processes all over Mexico, Central America and South America.
Keep pursuing your language skills ! It will pay off!!
Wendy
Ryan Cohen
Ryan’s Answer
Hi Aerionna,
I am a law student and I can confirm what the others have said: knowing a 2nd language is definitely useful! I have been interviewing for summer jobs, and often the people interviewing me will ask about the fact that I speak Spanish as a second language (it is listed on my resume). I definitely think they see it as an asset, and I do too. Speaking to people in their native language always helps make them feel more comfortable, and as a lawyer it's important to make your clients feel comfortable in order to build a trusting, positive relationship. Also, of course, if they don't speak English, speaking another language (or multiple!) will help make sure you can provide them with the best representation and advocacy.
Good luck!
Ryan
Brittany A. Coleman
Brittany A.’s Answer
Hi Aerionna,
I will just echo all of the great above and say that knowing a second language will always help you. Quite a few jobs today, including attorney jobs, want people who can speak more than one language so they can engage and cater to clients who speak languages other than English. Way to go for taking the initiative to learn Spanish! Keep it up! It will only make you more marketable to future employers (and possibly colleges and law schools as well).
Brittany
Sofia Kokolis
Sofia’s Answer
Absolutely keep up the great work with Spanish! You will never regret learning another language and it will help connect you with so many more people in the world. It may even open up networking opportunities for you once you are ready to pursue your career as a lawyer!
Best of luck,
Sofia
Thanks so much
Alex