Attorneys Often Have a Very Rewarding and Exciting Career

Although when you think of rewards you may first think about money, the rewards of a career as an attorney are much more than simply the money you receive. These include: an exciting and challenging job that changes often and exposes a person to a large number of individuals and groups; an opportunity for a person to be his or her own boss; and an opportunity to have varies types of job.

Although there are other rewards, how much money can be made as an attorney is often important to individuals considering becoming an attorney. An attorney's salary is dependent upon the type, size, and location of their employers, their experience, and the type of law that they practice. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor found that the average salary for attorneys in the first nine months after graduating from law school was $55,000 per year. The average salary was $80,000 per year for attorneys in private practice and $44,700 per year for attorneys working for the government. Some attorneys make less than these amounts, including attorneys working for public service or legal aid agencies. Other attorneys, especially senior attorneys working at large law firms make much more money per year. In fact, attorneys working at many large firms in major cities currently start out by making more than $125,000 per year-and those salaries continue to rise. The salaries and income of attorneys vary greatly from city to city, from position to position, and from employer to employer, but you can make a good living and provide for your family as an attorney.

As an attorney, you often never know what the day ahead will hold. An exciting new case or problem may come through your door requiring you to learn a new area of the law or to learn something new about a type of business or the world in general. Attorneys are often required to become knowledgeable in a multitude of areas in order to represent their client's interests. A career as an attorney can be very rewarding and exciting for individuals looking to learn new things and to not be stuck doing the same job day after day.

Being an attorney can also give you an opportunity to be your own boss. Many attorneys start their own law firms-sometimes straight out of law school. This means that they are their own boss and that they determine the type and amount of work that they want to do. As your own boss, you get to determine when you will take a day off or work part-time so that you can spend more time with your family, or when you will turn down a client for whom you do not want to work. This does not mean that starting your own firm or being your own boss is problem free. Not having a guaranteed salary and not knowing whether you will be successful on your own can be very stressful and attracting new clients can be very difficult. However, if you are the type of person that is willing to make your own way and wants to be independent, you can be your own boss as an attorney and you will always have a job.

Finally, being an attorney can be very rewarding because you will have many career opportunities and you can change the type of work you do. As an attorney, you can work in a large or small law firm, work for the government, work for a major corporation as an in-house attorney, work as a sports agent, work as a military attorney, be an owner or manager of a business, work in the interests of the public, be a legislator, or be a judge. You can also practice numerous types of law that might interest you, including personal injury law, criminal law, admiralty law, bankruptcy law, litigation, environmental law, immigration law, federal Indian law or tribal law, or many other types of law. Being an attorney means you have options, both as a practicing attorney or in some non-practicing role, which is very rewarding and satisfying. Just one more reason to CHOOSE LAW!