What is a lawyer?

The profession of a lawyer has been very important since ancient times. A lawyer is a man who knows the law perfectly, who can support you in a hard situation and be the only one whom you can trust! A lawyer, or legal practitioner, is a person certified to give legal advice who advises clients in legal matters. Some lawyers represent clients in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution.
Lawyers interpret the law through actions and words for the protection of an individual, a business concern or an idea. They must be widely versed in a great many areas: the law, economics, history, human motivation and behavior, and the practicalities of day to day living. The education of lawyers never ends because they must constantly be abreast of information which may be of use to the client.
As our society grows in complexity, the lawyer's role grows as well. No longer is it possible for one single lawyer to handle every aspect of every client's legal needs. Although well informed as to the tax implications of stock market transactions, a lawyer may not know enough to cover adequately the client's requirements for divorce proceedings, for instance. For this reason, the vast majority of today's lawyers are specifying the types of clients and cases which they will serve. It is important to understand, however, that even though the legal profession itself is specializing, the law school and legal education remain general in nature. Any specialization you choose to follow must take place after you graduate from law school, pass the bar examination, and enter the professional world.
So how can you know if you'll like being a lawyer? The practice of law includes so many alternatives that it is difficult to generalize at all. Many lawyers in large corporate firms concentrate their efforts in mastering one particular area of specialization within the law, e.g. the intricacies of tax law. These attorneys often serve primarily as advisors to corporate clients, rarely being involved with taking a case to court. Litigation lawyers, on the other hand, prepare and present cases in court or negotiate to settle the case before the scheduled court appearance. Practicing law in a small town or with a small community-based firm often means taking whatever cases walk through the door. This kind of practice tends to focus more on the daily legal needs of individuals - drawing up wills or deeds, filing for divorces, getting someone out of jail on bond, settling personal damage suits in court - rather than the more technical and specialized needs of corporate clients. Success is often due more to the quality of your personal interactions and persuasiveness than to your intellectual capabilities.