Legal Services

Doing Justice: Are You Ready for a Legal Career?

Introduction

You are in court. You are trying to obtain restitution for an injustice committed against an innocent person. Or maybe you are trying to convict a criminal, who perhaps is a high-profile person who is trying to escape justice. The atmosphere is tense, the judge is stern. One wrong move could result in a miscarriage of justice. You may have watched countless courtroom dramas on TV, yet none of which could ever prepare you for the real thing.

Does this excite you? If so, maybe you could consider a career in law.

Since the dawn of time, human society has always needed a class of people to mediate and settle quarrels and disputes. Especially when it was important for the rulers of that society, like the government for example, to acknowledge the outcome of such trials to ensure fairness and justice for all involved parties. If you enjoy helping with such issues, and perhaps want to do your part for fairness and equality, this could be the career for you.

List of careers
Quite a few careers within the legal sector, including:
  • Law
  • Paralegal
  • Legal management
  • Criminology
  • Notary public

Let us look at the first job that comes to mind when working in the legal sector, being a lawyer. First off, you would need to get a college education, because one of the prerequisites of getting a law degree, is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in whichever subject you choose. The knowledge obtained with such an education is important in developing the depth and broadness needed to understand law and other related concepts. Alternatively, you could study in a pre-law program which simply prepares you for the main curriculum.

Fair warning though, the path to become a lawyer is highly intense. When you pursue such a course in school, you are required to do a lot of reading, pertaining to law, criminal code, government, politics, and other sophisticated subjects. You are also required to study past cases and proceedings of previous trials to understand how to tackle current and future ones. You know the cliché of a lawyer staying up past midnight to study the current laws and regulations of a society, in preparation of an upcoming case? That is exactly how intense the career of a person working in the legal sector is. And yet, plenty of people working in the legal sector still claim to enjoy the challenge of such a career. They appreciate the idea of putting their minds to the limit, solving tough cases, and having an eye for fine details most people would miss. In other words, they enjoy the thrill and mental exercise

Work-Life balance
A career in law can be very challenging, you might have to work long days, and even on the weekends. Deadlines can be short, clients very demanding and cases incredibly complex. The stakes can be very high. Many lawyers, after having worked for a law firm for some time, choose to become in-house lawyers for government agencies or corporations. They will look at the legal paperwork that makes their businesses run, and they are often the ones who instruct the lawyers at a firm.
Progression and Career Development
Of course, you will not necessarily stay a lawyer forever. Some lawyers will progress beyond the private sector, and into the public one. You remember all those crime drama TV shows that involve concepts like a “District Attorney” or a “Public Defender”? That is what happens when a lawyer advances enough in their career to enter the public sector and be in service to local and state governments. Naturally, this is a very tough decision to make, and requires great preparation and experience. And if you think going into the public sector is a tough and challenging form of career advancement, try becoming a judge, one of the most revered and highly respected legal positions around. Requiring years of experience and training. And of course, with its own benefits and privileges.
Recent and Future Developments

Recent changes to the legal profession involve more usage of data, as the world starts becoming more connected. It is easier to conduct cases and trials when information can be drawn from a wide variety of sources. And it is not surprising that cybersecurity will play a larger role as more people start using computers for banking, communication, business and other important roles.

One notable aspect would be the use of machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. Both of which can process data and information much faster than the human mind can ever hope to achieve. So, you can image that with such tools at the legal system’s disposal, court cases and trials can progress more efficiently, proceedings can be better analysed to prepare for future cases and to teach the next generation of legal staff. Or to put it simply, it will make the work of those in the legal sector faster and easier.

Conclusion
Choosing a career in law is not an easy path, but it can be incredibly rewarding because of the challenge it provides, both professionally and the sense of accomplishment involved in ensuring justice is done.