<p>I got this idea from the surplus of attorneys thread. Is it hard to find work if I want to be a public defender? Call me a tool but I honestly want to defend people from injustice even if they are partly or completely guilty. I am a firm believer in second chances and grace and I want that to carry on to my profession. </p>
<p>I want to make enough to get by, as in live in an apartment with NO family or kids. I’m looking to live in Oregon, Washington state, Colorado, Arizona or possibly NYC. If all goes well I’ll have my JD by 2017ish (I’m a junior in high school right now). </p>
<p>If anyone can answer the title question that would be awesome.</p>
<p>Ha…no one can predict what the career prospects will be in 2017. Bin Laden says he’s planning something a millions times worse than what happened in NY. We might not even be here…</p>
<p>Take a deep breath and relax. Get into college first. You might change your mind and not want to be a lawyer. You might not even get the grades, scores, or money to even go, let alone graduate. I’m sure if that’s still what you want to do after graduating from law school, there will be jobs working for the government or a private firm defending criminals.</p>
<p>You honestly have no idea how strong of a desire this is for me. I will not want any other career in the world. I took a law and trial advocacy summer thing last summer and it was the most amazing experience. I just know it is my calling.</p>
<p>Well…just make sure it’s what you want. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer too (specifically immigration) until I read a book. I can’t remember the exact title something like 29 Reasons Not to Be a Lawyer. I changed my mind quickly. I’ve talked to different people in different professions, even shadowed a few while in college. After that I made up my mind what I wanted to be (which I already had tons of experience in anyway). Make sure you do extensive research and you won’t regret anything.</p>
<p>There is always a shortage of public defenders. However, that does not mean it is easy to get a public defender position. The shortage exists because there is limited funding provided for them and they therefore cannot hire more than they have and generally hire based on turnover, which usually occurs because many become public defenders to get the experience and then leave, and, despite which you mention as your desire, most do not “make enough to get by.”</p>
<p>before you decide that this is in fact what you want, please thoroughly research it. do you know any public defenders? have you ever spoken with any?
see if you can. see if you can volunteer to work in such an office – doesn’t matter if its anything to do with the actual practice of law – even filing or running errands – just so you can be around that environment and talk to people in that position to see if its really something you want to do. ask a ton of questions - what do they like, what don’t they like, how long do they see being there, why, what is the burnout factor like.</p>