Attorneys have played a crucial role in protecting individual rights and liberty since before the Constitution was written and they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. You too can make a difference and be an agent for change by becoming an attorney.

Attorneys Provide a Voice to Those Without One

Attorneys play a crucial role in our society by being the spokespersons for individuals who are not able to present their grievances or complaints. Attorneys ensure that individuals accused of a crime are afforded their constitutional right to due process and that their constitutional and statutory rights remain protected. Attorneys also play a vital role in protecting individuals in immigration proceedings and in government proceedings related to taxes, social security, public education, and public housing. Many individuals would not be able to effectively assert their rights without an attorney.

Attorneys help the rich and the poor, the young and the old alike. They represent children who often cannot protect themselves, including protecting children in divorce proceedings, abuse cases, custody hearings, and juvenile proceedings. Attorneys have also challenged corporations, manufacturers, doctors and service providers in court to ensure that products used by the public are safe and that the services provided by doctors, hospitals, airlines, trucking companies, buses and other service industries are performed in a professional and safe manner.

Serving the public in these ways not only serves a function to our society-it is personally rewarding and is one major reason that many individuals choose to become attorneys.

Attorneys Are Respected Community Leaders

Respect and influence are characteristics that are often used to describe attorneys. When attorneys talk, people listen. Being an attorney brings with it a certain level of power and respect. At the same time it brings a level of responsibility to serve your community.

Attorneys serve a fundamental role in every aspect of our government. Many legislators in the U.S. Congress, in state legislatures, and on local governing councils or boards are attorneys-they use their education to debate and improve the laws we live by and that protect us every day. Similarly, attorneys serve as mayors, state governors, and U.S. President-twenty-five of the forty-three U.S. Presidents have been attorneys. Attorneys also lead and serve in many federal and state executive and administrative agencies, including the U.S. military. Attorneys further influence our government by serving as judges, as attorneys for the government, or by being advocates for change before a government agency or a legislature.

Attorneys also serve as leaders in the community by starting local organizations and programs that may serve different groups within the community, such as after-school programs for inner-city kids, programs to assist the elderly, and organizations that raise funds to battle diseases such as cancer. And of course, many attorneys devote their lives to serving the legal needs of their communities by providing pro bono (free) legal services.

Being able to serve as a respected community leader is a major reason that many individuals choose to become attorneys.