1. Are you prepared for the demands of the job?
8 Factors to Consider Before
Becoming a Lawyer
2. 1. Length of education
After you get your four-year degree, you’ll need to go to
law school and finish a three-year program. Law school
will be your full-time job with class work and other school-
related activities. You will have no time for outside work.
3. 2. Public speaking
You must be comfortable speaking in front of large
groups if you’re going to be a successful lawyer. You will
often have to present to juries, judges and arbitrators,
witnesses, boards, and colleagues. Public speaking is
unavoidable in this profession.
4. 3. Test taking
Law students take many tests throughout law school,
including the LSAT and the bar examination. If you’re not
a good test taker, or if you don’t perform well on tests in
high-pressure environments, you may want to reconsider
going to law school.
5. 4. Analytical abilities
The best lawyers have analytical
minds and are experts at logical
reasoning and critical thinking.
Do you enjoy logic puzzles,
research, and scenarios that
challenge you to think critically?
You’ll need these kinds of skills to
analyze complex case laws or to
develop trial strategies.
6. 5. Writing
Lawyers not only need to be excellent writers, but they
also need to be strong oral communicators. They need to
master the art of oral and written persuasion in order to
argue motions, try cases, and draft briefs, motions, etc.
7. 6. Availability
Many clients expects their lawyers to be available at any
time during the day (or night). Would you be willing to
talk to a client after hours? Successful lawyers do their
best to remain available to clients.
8. 7. Financial burden
The average debt of a law
student is more than $72,000.
Some students even reach
$100,000 or more of debt.
Ask yourself whether this level of
debt is going to be worth it. It’s
going to take time to reap the
financial benefits of this job.
You must be passionate about
this career path if you’re going to
eventually pay off the debt.
9. 8. Long work hours
Most successful lawyers work more than 40 hours a week.
They put in long work hours during the day, and they
even sacrifice nights and weekends to get work done. If
you want a practical schedule, you have to be okay with
the fact that you probably won’t make as much money.
10. Talk to an Attorney Today
If you want to learn more about what being a lawyer is
like, or if you need any legal assistance, call Craig Swapp
& Associates today.
Our areas of expertise lie in personal injury, bankruptcy,
social security disability, and more. Let one of our lawyers
be your personal injury attorney if you’ve been injured in
an accident that wasn’t your fault.
No matter what your question may be, contact us today
by calling 800-404-9000 or by visiting craigswapp.com.
