<p>So, I'm going to NYU Gallatin next year, which means I'm majoring in "Individualized Study." I can study whatever I want, basically. I know I want to do foreign languages and English, but I've sort of been thinking about law..</p>
<p>Here it is: What exactly does a lawyer do on a day to day basis? I can read all the career books, but does anyone have first-hand experience? I like to read, write, help people, talk, and I also enjoy a good debate. I'm a hard worker and want to do something meaningful and lucrative, both financially and intrinsically.</p>
<p>Basically, what do I need to be successful as a lawyer/law school applicant? What personality traits, etc.. </p>
<p>I'm undecided as to what I want to do with my life, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for being vague.</p>
<p>Well, you would have to obtain a B.A. in something, and then go to law school, and then pass the bar exam to be a lawyer, it isn't going to happen right out of Gallatin.</p>
<p>Major in something you like that will prepare you well for law school (lots of writing and critical thinking)</p>
<p>Thanks. I know that I have to go to law school, pass the bar, etc. I love writing and critical thinking, it's one of the things that made me consider law.. I just want to know more about the profession itself and what personality you need to enjoy it.</p>
<p>from what I can gather from internships at a mid-sized firm and a small public-interest practice, plus my first 3 semesters of law school (finished classes today! hooray! now 2 weeks of finals so I'm posting from the library! blecch!), there is no "typical" lifestyle for a law school grad, and as such no one personality or skill set that prepares you for it. You can be at a luxurious firm, or a tiny corner of a public defender's office. You can work 90 hours a week or 20, in any part of the country. You can be in court every week, starting from your first week on the job, or never see a courtroom in years. Plus, while I think everyone who decides to go to law school should do so because they want to be a lawyer, lots of people end up doing other things after law school: running for office, teaching in universities or law schools, developing or selling real estate, starting their own businesses, etc. </p>
<p>The best way to find out if you want to be a lawyer is by seeing for yourself what they do all day: get a summer job as a file clerk or paralegal in a firm, volunteer at your local legal services office or for a prosecutor/public defender, go to your local courthouse and watch some proceedings. Ask your college's career services office for the contact info of alums who are now lawyers. See if you can sit in on some classes at NYU law, or visit one of their clinical programs. And feel free to take time off between college and law school to try other career paths, too. </p>
<p>Though there is much talk about big firm litigation and corporate practices on this forum, I thought it important to point out that lawyers do many different things, including representing a wide variety of clients in a wide variety of settings, as demonstrated in the following article from the Associated Press, which is exerpted below:</p>
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The Law Is a Ass, But the Witness Is Just a Donkey
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DALLAS -- The first witness in a lawsuit Wednesday between two neighbors was Buddy the donkey, who walked to the bench and stared at the jury, the picture of a gentle, well-mannered creature and not the loud, aggressive animal he had been accused of being. </p>
<p>The donkey was at the center of a dispute between oilman John Cantrell and attorney Gregory Shamoun that began after Cantrell complained about a storage shed Shamoun was building in his backyard in Dallas. </p>
<p>He said Shamoun retaliated by bringing Buddy from his ranch in Midlothian and putting him in the backyard. </p>
<p>Cantrell complained of donkey noise and manure piles.
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The neighbors settled their dispute while jurors deliberated. </p>
<p>Shamoun agreed to buy some of Cantrell's land and Cantrell agreed to withdraw his complaint with the city.