[the law]

Does anyone here practice corporate law? I've been poking around looking at the different specialties and this seems to be the most appealing to me. I am just wondering if anyone has any experience or has heard any rumors about the type of work corporate lawyers do.

Thanks for all the great posts so far and the ones that are sure to follow,
Mark

From what I understand, corporate work (transactions) lags when the economy suffers (fewer mergers, etc.).

Admittedly, I don't practice much in that area so I could be mistaken. It seems an area that is more sensitive to the current economy.

However, if you were to start law school in the near future, you would probably graduate and hit it during an upswing. Corporate attorneys make some good money, depending on where you practice. I know some partners who practice in that area for Biglaw firms, and they do very, very well. :icon_smile_wink:

I prefer a less transactional and more litigious practice. Litigators always have work to do and people are always suing each other, especially during recessions.

As to the original question, I have heard that Powerscore has excellent prep materials for the LSAT.

 

[the law]

Just ask yourself why you (might) want to be a lawyer. If it's because you can't think of anything better to do or just because you want to make a lot of money, then you should reconsider (at least, unless you have good reason to anticipate admission to a top law school). If there's something you need to be a lawyer to do, or something about the practice or teaching of law that especially appeals to you, then go for it.

A year or two in "the real world" might help clarify your thoughts.

I'll second this. Law school is not for the faint of heart. It is grueling, cut-throat and challenging. If you are not passionate about the practice of law, then rethink this route.

I recall some reports that state that law school applications increase during times of economic turmoil. Realize you will have plenty of competition if you go. That's competition for grades as well as for fewer jobs.

However, if you feel strongly about this career move and are flexible, this could be your thing. Some areas have a higher demand for jobs than others. Nevada is a notoriously great job market for attorneys (one of the reasons I moved here - I was turning down interviews, let alone offers). The caveat is Nevada pays about half what you'll make in BigLaw in a major city (LA, NY, etc.).

IP is a great field that is always in demand and pays well. If you have the credentials (hard science undergrad degree) then you can make a go of it. Patent prosecution can be boring from what I've been told (I worked at a firm that did some IP work and the IP partner and I chatted a bit about this). IP litigation on the other hand can be very interesting (this same partner was recently in Korea for depositions). Find what you like and certainly do as much research on this prior to setting off. Good luck.