When young, there was that common question, “What do you aspire to become when you grow up?” In our innocence, a lawyer was always on the top of the list. However, if the question delved deeper into the law specifics, I am sure the conversation would have hit a dead rock.
The main reason why I am jogging your mind back is that very few people identify with the fields of law. In reality, when one joins a law school, the first year gives elementary skills on the best field to pursue. While it may take years for fresh graduates to get a grip in the industry, the sooner you hit the road running, the better.
In this article, we will sum up the main areas of law practice. Note that the list is not exhaustive but it gives a general idea of the most prevalent law specializations.
Health Law
Since the medical department is ever-growing, this is one of the practices steadily on the rise. A health law field offers legal services in various areas like health insurance firms, medical product manufacturers, nursing homes, physician clinics, and others. In most cases, state agencies and major hospitals hire in-house health law lawyers to represent their cases.
Bankruptcy Law
This is one field where an attorney spends minimal time in the courts. Instead, they concentrate on assessing financial documents for the clients and summarizing motions. Bankruptcy attorneys represent businesses or individuals with huge amounts of debt. Additionally, they work for private or business creditors.
Business Law
Sometimes referred to as corporate or commercial law, this is an extensive field that involves handling business issues. In most cases, lawyers handle the business opening process and then focus on any issues cropping up later.
If you enjoy working through complex issues and creating strategic policies, this should be your specialization. Although the field pays much better than others, get ready for overwhelming caseloads.
Criminal Law
This is one area known for its aggressive and outgoing lawyers. Usually, they work as defense lawyers or prosecutors and spend a huge amount of time representing clients in courts. To succeed in this practice you have to think very fast and give logical answers while handling huge workloads.
Personal Injury Law
Here, the lawyers give legal representation to victims involved in psychological and physical injuries. For a successful personal injury law firm, you have to review loads of medical documents, handle motions in court, and hold meetings with witnesses or clients. For this position, perfect your skills in raising motions in court and be ready to discuss intimate matters with your clients.
Family Law
If you aspire to work in small firms while helping people solve their emotional challenges, pursue a career in the family law field. Typically, family law attorneys help to solve uptight relations between family members. Some of the cases they focus on include divorce, child welfare, and adoption.
Civil Rights Law
A civil rights lawyer concentrates on the protection of the client’s human rights. Usually, they work for nonprofit organizations and government institutions. In contrast to other law fields, the pay is slightly lower here. Nonetheless, you can get credit from forgiveness programs.
Real Estate Law
For individuals with great interest in real estate, this is your area. The good thing is that you do not have to spend lots of time in the courts. To a certain extent, you will concentrate more on transactional work. This involves consulting and drafting real estate documentations. Some of them include foreclosures, leases, sales agreements, environmental compliance, tenant-landlord issues, and many others.
Parting Shot
It might take you a couple of years to identify the definite law field suitable for you. However, if the diverse options perplex you more, consider talking to a career counselor. If need be, you can contact a renowned mentor or become a member of the nearby state bar.
Conclusion: Law field can provide you a great career. If you are good at creating strategic policies or connecting with people and solving their emotional challenges or wish to run a personal injury law firm; You can have anything you want. Plus, there are also many other categories in the law field.