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Top 10 Reasons to Become a Lawyer A career as a lawyer is an extraordinary calling. However, becoming a lawyer is an enormous undertaking in terms of time commitment and financial investment. Therefore, it is important to learn as much about the profession as possible before you embark on a career path as a lawyer. These top 10 reasons to become a lawyer explain some of the benefits of working as an attorney. Keep in mind that a career as an attorney has also had its drawbacks. For a glimpse into the disadvantages of law practice, review this list of the 10 Worst Things about a Career As a Lawyer. 01.   Earning Potential Lawyers are among the highest paid professionals in the legal industry and most attorneys earn salaries well above the national average. While the median annual salary for all lawyers is $110,590, the world’s top lawyers pull in million-dollar incomes. Keep in mind, however, that not all lawyers make big bucks and sala...

10 Trends Reshaping the Legal Industry As legal professionals position themselves to survive the peaks and troughs of an ailing economy, a number of distinct trends have emerged in the legal industry. Most of these trends help law firms and organizations become more efficient, productive and competitive in a global market.  Other trends result from changing demographics, attitudes and work styles.  Below are ten trends that are transforming the legal industry and law practice. 1.   E-Discovery Recent amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure make electronically stored information such as e-mails, instant messages, voicemails, e-calendars, graphics and data on handheld devices discoverable in litigation. The discovery of electronically stored information (ESI) is known as electronic discovery.  The explosive growth of ESI has increased the cost and complexity of the e-discovery process and forever changed the face o...

Hot Law Practice Areas During The Recession While some law practice areas suffer during times of economic recession, certain practice areas thrive. Below are seven law practice areas that are gaining traction, prompting a demand for legal professionals with experience in these areas. 1.  Civil Litigation During times of economic downturn, litigation becomes increasingly popular; in tough times, individuals and organizations are more likely to resort to the legal system to recoup financial losses or to use litigation as a cash flow tool to avoid paying money owed. As a result, the number of civil lawsuits filed in state and federal courts is rising across the country. The recent uptick in litigation of all types is driving demand for legal professionals who can represent clients in areas such as complex civil litigation, commercial litigation, insurance defense, class actions, labor and employment, personal injury lawsuits and regulatory actions. 2.  ...

How To Effectively Bill Time Tracking and billing time to clients is an important and inevitable part of working in a law firm. Partners, associates, paralegals, litigation support staff and other timekeepers bill their time in six, ten, or fifteen-minute increments, depending on firm policy and client directives. If you fail to bill your time, the firm cannot invoice the client and the firm does not get paid. Thus, timekeeping is a function vital to law firm success. As legal fees increase, clients have become more cost-conscious and tech-savvy. Consequently, clients are examining legal bills more closely and employing a variety of database applications to electronically sort and analyze billing data. A growing trend toward e-billing (electronic invoices) has subjected legal invoices to increased scrutiny, negotiation, and dispute. Whether you are new to billing time or a veteran time-keeper, the tips be...

What are a lawyer’s main duties? What is a Lawyer? Outside of television shows or movies, you may have no knowledge of what lawyers are or what they do. While fictional depictions can be helpful, they are not always accurate. The following are a few commonly asked questions about lawyers.    Q.  What exactly is a lawyer? A.   A  lawyer  (also called  attorney ,  counsel , or  counselor ) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters. Today’s lawyer can be young or old, male or female. Nearly one - third of all lawyers are under thirty - five years old. Almost half of the law students today are women, and women may ultimately be as numerous in the profession as men. Q.  I come from another country, and I need to hire a lawyer. Are notaries public lawyers? A.   A “notary public,” an “accountant,” or a “certified public accountant” is not necessarily a lawyer. Do not assume that tit...

The 10 Worst Things About a Career As a Lawyer 2018 A career as a lawyer can be challenging in ways you don't expect A career as a lawyer is one of the most sought-after professions and there are indeed many rewards if you pursue one. But working as an attorney has some drawbacks as well. It's not all exciting courtroom drama, news conferences, and grateful clients.  Before you start down the long educational road toward becoming a lawyer, ask yourself if you have a tolerance for these disadvantages and how well you'll be able to deal with them.  1.   The Stress Deadlines, billing pressures, client demands, long hours, changing laws, and other demands all combine to make the practice of law one of the most stressful jobs out there. Throw in rising business pressures, evolving legal technologies, and climbing law school debt and it’s no wonder lawyers are stressed. The stress and demands of practicing law have fuele...

What is a Lawyer? A lawyer is someone who is licensed to practice law, and whose obligation it is to uphold the law while also protecting their client's rights. Some duties commonly associated with a lawyer include: providing legal advice and counsel, researching and gathering information or evidence, drawing up legal documents related to divorces, wills, contracts and real estate transactions, and prosecuting or defending in court. The exact terminology for the word "lawyer" varies throughout the world. Attorney, counsel, barrister or solicitor are all various names given to lawyers. The origin of the profession dates back to ancient Greece, when orators spoke on behalf of friends or citizens at their request. Although they acted as legal counsel, according to Athenian law, orators could not be paid for their services, nor could they organize themselves as a legal profession. The earliest lawyers in ancient Rome, around 204 BC, received payment for their servi...

Will a Home Business Location Work for You? IF YOU ARE  debating whether to set up an office in your home or lease commercial space, think seriously about keeping the office in your home if you can. Unless you are operating a retail store or expect clients to regularly visit your office, your face to the world will be your products, your services, your literature, and your marketing. Spend Money in Areas That Your Customers Will Really Appreciate The cost of setting up a commercial office is more expensive than just the cost of a lease. Even if you are not remodeling, you will likely undertake a few leasehold improvements. You might install additional electrical outlets, put in new carpeting, or, at the very least, paint the place. You will probably need written approval from the landlord every step of the way, and he or she is not going to look favorably on you getting the least expensive of everything. In fact, it’s not uncommon that landlords insist you use their...

What Kind of Legal Form Does My Business Need? THE VARIOUS OPTIONS  for legal structures for your business vary from country to country and can vary within a country; for example, in the U.S. there can be slight differences from one state to the next. Liability Is Your First Big Issue The first core question to think about is liability. If the business cannot pay its debts, including a judgment against it in a potential lawsuit, are you as the owner and other investors, if there are any, willing to be responsible for all of its obligations? If you do not have a legal structure that shields you and other investors from the obligations of the company, then you and the other investors will be liable for any unpaid obligations. So, for example, if you run your business by yourself without any legal entity, you are essentially running it as what is called a sole proprietorship and you have total responsibility for any unpaid debts of the company. Basically, any of the company’s...

Finding New Business Ideas In The Everyday It’s a Terrific Time to Be Starting a New Business! The world is changing. It’s changing fast. Change favors the new guy, the new business. The most obvious changes are impacting the business landscape in a big way, such as advances in technology, high-speed Internet, mobile Internet, social media, and so much more. In addition, we’re in the midst of massive ramp up in demand for services, for personalization, and for customization. All of these changes  spell opportunity for small business entrepreneurs . New technologies made it easier to start and manage a small business. Never before has it been so easy for a very small business to achieve mass distribution and mass recognition on a national or even global scale. There have never been so many support networks, services, and intermediaries that make it easier than ever to launch and succeed at business. But Before You Decide to Start a Business, You Need to Decide...

The US Hispanic Market: How to Reach it The spending power of the Hispanic market has grown by 50% in the last 5 years. Companies have understood the importance of reaching this segment but few do it correctly... Learn how to address the growing Hispanic market. One of the things that people need to understand about the Hispanic consumer is that, once Latin Americans cross the Mexico-U.S. border, the United States puts them all into one giant group. Advertisers and companies put people of all socioeconomic, historical, and cultural backgrounds all into one group of Hispanics. It’s not as simple as just saying, “Here’s how you do Hispanic marketing.” Really Speaking Your Market’s Language If you were to market to Hispanics by just putting your product in Spanish, that’s the same thing as marketing to women by just putting your product in pink. There have been many stories of large brands reaching out to Hispanic consumers where even the missing of an accent mark can cha...