When you think of lawyers, what is the first word that comes to your mind? If it’s not “hero” or “defense attorney,” you probably thought of some negative remarks. That is because there are so many negative stereotypes about lawyers.
Most people think of them as greedy, self-important, and deceitful individuals who only care about making money. Many even believe that anyone who becomes a lawyer must have something wrong with them.
We get it—we want to debunk these common misconceptions! Read on to learn why becoming a lawyer is one of the most honorable professions.
If you go to a doctor, you’ll be diagnosed and get treatment for whatever ails you. If you go to a lawyer, that person will first ask you what your issue is. In short, lawyers advise clients on business contracts and family law.
They do not decide outcomes, but they are the ones who help clients understand the path taken to reach a result. In practice, a lawyer’s day mainly involves:
Although these tasks may not seem glamorous, they are essential to our society.
Lawyers will be paid a fee when they win a case, but getting paid up front is a rarity. Most lawyers are paid a percentage of the money they win for their clients as a contingency fee.
Every lawyer has a different policy regarding billing for their services. Some charge by the hour, and others charge you a lump sum for the whole thing. Most lawyers will ask you for a retainer, an advance payment covering future services cost.
If you lose the case, your lawyer will not ask for the money back. At most, your lawyer might ask for a lower retainer for the following case, but that’s it.
Defending guilty clients is a small part of what lawyers do. It’s estimated that defense attorneys handle only 30% of all legal cases. For the rest, they act as prosecutors, helping the state bring criminal charges against defendants.
If you have watched Law & Order, you know that criminal cases are always won or lost at the state level. No federal court system prosecutes criminal cases—it’s up to the thousands of state and city prosecutors.
So, yes, a defense attorney will help a murderer get off scot-free. But a prosecutor will work to put that same person in jail for life.
Some lawyers specialize in corporate law, but they are a small percentage of the profession. Most lawyers will work with individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits.
They will help people with their wills and trusts, create partnership agreements, advise on forming companies, and much more. Most lawyers will work on the other side of the fence from the big corporations.
This includes plaintiffs’ lawyers, who specialize in bringing civil lawsuits against companies for deceptive or harmful practices.
Some lawyers also work as public defenders, representing individuals charged with crimes who cannot afford a private attorney.
The biggest misconception about being a lawyer is that you must attend law school. Many types of lawyers don’t have a law degree.
They include Legal counsel: These people work on the business side of things and don’t appear in court.
Conclusion
There’s no denying that the law profession often gets a bad rap. But there are plenty of good reasons to forgo a more traditional career path and pursue a law degree.
Law school can be demanding, but it’s also a great way to build valuable skills like critical thinking and communication. We hope we’ve cleared some misconceptions about the law profession and shown you why becoming a lawyer is a noble choice!
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