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What is an attorney at law and how to become one
Attorneys represent people's legal rights in court. The representation could be criminal or civil, and the client could be the plaintiff or the defendant. An attorney's responsibilities vary depending on the nature of the case and the area of law in question.
A day in the life of an attorney includes counselling clients, preparing them for court, researching previous cases, preparing legal documents, and attending court sessions. Lawyers may also need to liaise with law enforcement to gather information for their client's case.
Attorneys specialize in different areas of the law. Criminal lawyers specialize in defending clients against criminal suits while real estate lawyers focus on settling matters involving land and property.
To become a lawyer, you need a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school. You'll also need to pass the bar exam. Clients often prefer lawyers with a track record of wins to relatively inexperienced professionals.
What general advice would you give to an attorney at law?
Hanna Royce
Assistant Dean of Career Services, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
Many graduates are securing remote positions. To be successful in a remote environment, employees need to make the extra effort to communicate and stay connected with colleagues. Even when employees are telecommuting, they should dress as if they are going into the office. This can help them with productivity and illustrate their professionalism when meeting with colleagues or clients.
Avg. Salary $108,018
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%
Asian 6.35%
Black or African American 5.52%
Hispanic or Latino 7.74%
Unknown 4.37%
White 75.71%
Genderfemale 45.45%
male 54.55%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Attorney at law career paths
Key steps to become an attorney at law
Explore attorney at law education requirements
Start to develop specific attorney at law skills
Skills Percentages Litigation 22.81% Law Firm 10.32% Legal Research 7.42% Juris 4.35% Real Estate Transactions 3.47% Complete relevant attorney at law training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New attorneys at law learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an attorney at law based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real attorney at law resumes.Research attorney at law duties and responsibilities
- Manage a civil practice focuse primarily on representing claimants in securities arbitration proceedings.
- Support tort, real estate, probate, appellate, and business litigation with outside counsel in California.
- Sole practice of law in the areas of corporate, juvenile matters, probate, real estate, securities and taxation.
- File garnishment actions; defend tenants, landlords and assort other parties in proceedings in small claims and landlord tenant courts.
Prepare your attorney at law resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your attorney at law resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an attorney at law resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable attorney at law resume templates
Build a professional attorney at law resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your attorney at law resume.
Apply for attorney at law jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an attorney at law job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first attorney at law job
Are you an attorney at law?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average attorney at law salary
The average attorney at law salary in the United States is $108,018 per year or $52 per hour. Attorney at law salaries range between $69,000 and $166,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do attorneys at law rate their job?
Attorney at law reviews
As a civil litigation defense attorney I love the fact that every day is different. I enjoy assisting clients who have a problem to solve that problem in the most cost effective way, and how to avoid such problems in the future. I like that I basically set my own work schedule (other than court dates).
Billing hours. Unscrupulous opposing counsel. Occasional biased judges who do not follow the law.
Updated January 8, 2025
