<p>NOW THIS IS JUST MY OPINION</p>
<p>attorney - litigator, law firm</p>
<p>key skills; excellent college grades (to attend a good law school), excellent communication skills (think high verbal sat), excellent research skills, excellent writing skills, excellent debate skills, specialty skills for different aspects of law like math, economics, labor relations, environment, etc. </p>
<p>Preparation path: excellent SAT’s(especially verbal) and high school record, debate, try for a good college and have excellent cum, LAW SCHOOLS-students with diverse college majors are chosen by law schools, what matters are the high grades, great entrance exam scores and references. There are different tiers of law schools like there are different tiers of colleges so all of the same admission principles apply like legacy, diversity, where you went to college and how many they take from that college, also who you know SUMMERS:you want to work as a summer associate in a law firm when in law school AFTER LAW SCHOOL: you want to clerk for a judge for a year or two LAW EXAM: it is helpful but not necessary to go to law school in the state where you want to take the bar exam so give careful consideration to where you want to live and how saturated they may already be in your law field LAW FIRMS; they often look for the best of the crop of new grads, what law school matters among the best firms </p>
<p>salaries: all over the place and depends where in the country you practice, the better the firms the higher the starting salary, into the $100,000’s starting for good associates at good firms ; but hey, do you want to work in a small town or big city? You can’t have it all!</p>
<p>upside:law firm-challenges your skills every day , very challenging never boring, meeting people and talking with people and writing every day, as you advance and acquire clients you become responsible for disignating duties to associate attorney and others and are responsible for their work and behavior towards your clients, trips, if you work for a top law firm you will make a good salary but that is in relation to the CLIENTS YOU BRING IN, upside is also daily relating with educated people, affirmation of your skills by positive rulings, you are a boss and have many people working for you, you have prestigious career and can join various professional organizations, you can afford to have a little nicer life (lol) </p>
<p>downside: law firm-your paycheck is related to the paying clients you bring in , too many hours for young associates, too many trips for young associates, it’s a confrontational business, nasty sleasy tricky lawyers who won’t tell you when meetings are cancelled or try to minipulate witnesses, exausting work, long days, too much writing, office equipment that does not work sometimes, attorneys who steal your clients from you after you give them work, attorneys who work for you but leave (pregnancy, quit, move to other firms) sometimes suddenly, office workers who may be incompetent, clients who don’t pay on time or not at all, unfavorable rulings which lead to client loss, loss of potential clients because of conflicts within the firm (another attorney represents client related to the other side), ‘politcal’ aspects, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Advanced Opportunies: law firm-partnership</p>
<p>do not chose this: if you do not have the stamina for so much writing, researching, have poor organizational skills, are not good with people, are affected by confrontation, think your job will be 9-5 </p>
<p>You may like this job if: law firm- you have great grades through college, were a first child with many siblings, enjoy public speaking, are very bright, have all the above great skills!</p>