Home > Lawyers

Lawyers

• Total Employment: 526,620
• Average Annual Salary: $101,995
• Average Hourly Rate: $49.04

• Doctoral Degree
• First Professional Degree

• Select jurors, argue motions, meet with judges and question witnesses during the course of a trial.
• Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
• Confer with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas of legal issue to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings.
• Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
• Prepare legal briefs and opinions, and file appeals in state and federal courts of appeal.
• Prepare and draft legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
• Present and summarize cases to judges and juries.
• Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
• Present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation.
• Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.

• Experience
• Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
• Education
• Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
• Job Training
• Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
• Examples
• These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.