LAWYERS AND JUDGES

Nature of the Work

Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors in our society.  As advocates, they represent one of the opposing parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence that support their client in court.  As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients as to their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters. Whether acting as advocates or advisors, all attorneys interpret the law and apply it to specific situations.  This requires research and communication abilities.

Judges apply the law.  They oversee the legal process that in courts of law resolves civil disputes and determines guilt in criminal cases according to Federal and State laws and those of local jurisdictions.  They preside over cases touching on virtually every aspect of society, from traffic offenses to disputes over management of professional sports, from the rights of huge corporations to questions of disconnecting life support equipment for terminally ill persons.  They must insure that trials and hearings are conducted fairly and that the court administers justice in a manner that safeguards the legal rights of all parties involved.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Lawyers.  To practice law in the courts of any State or other jurisdiction, a person must be licensed, or admitted to its bar, under rules established by the jurisdiction's highest court.  Nearly all require that applicants for admission to the bar pass a written bar examination.  To qualify for the bar examination in most States, an applicant must complete at least 3 years of college and graduate from a law school approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) or the proper State authorities.

The required college and law school education usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school 4 years of undergraduate study followed by 3 years in law school.  Although some law schools accept a very small number of students after 3 years of college, most require applicants to have a bachelor's degree. 

Judges.  Most judges, although not all, have been lawyers first. All Federal judges and State trial and appellate court judges are required to be lawyers or learned in law.  About 40 States presently allow nonlawyers to hold limited jurisdiction judgeships, but opportunities are better with law experience.  Federal administrative law judges must be lawyers and pass a competitive examination administered by the U.S.  Office of Personnel Management.  Many State administrative law judges and other hearing
officials are not required to be lawyers, but law degrees are preferred for most positions.

Job Outlook

Persons seeking positions as lawyers or judges should encounter keen competition through the year 2005.  Law schools still attract large numbers of applicants and are not expected to decrease their enrollments, so the supply of persons trained as lawyers should continue to exceed job openings.  As for judges, the prestige associated with serving on the bench should insure continued intense competition for openings.

Lawyers.  Employment of lawyers has grown very rapidly since the early 1970's, and is expected to continue to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005.  New jobs created by growth should exceed job openings that arise from the need to replace lawyers who stop working or leave the profession. 

Judges.  Employment of judges is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations.  Contradictory social forces affect the demand for judges.  Pushing up demand are public concerns about crime, safety, and efficient administration of justice; on the other hand, tight public funding should slow job growth.

Earnings

Annual salaries of beginning lawyers in private industry averaged about $36,600 in 1992, but top graduates from the Nation's best law schools started in some cases at over $80,000 a year.  In the Federal Government, annual starting salaries for attorneys in 1993 were about $27,800 or $33,600, depending upon academic and personal qualifications.  Factors affecting the salaries offered to new graduates include: Academic record; type, size, and location of employer; and the specialized educational background desired.  The field of law makes a difference, too.  Patent lawyers, for example, generally are among the highest paid attorneys.

Federal district court judges had salaries of $133,600 in 1993, as did judges in the Court of Federal Claims.  Circuit court judges earned $141,700 a year.  Federal judges with limited jurisdiction, such as magistrates and bankruptcy court judges, had salaries of $122,900 in 1993.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting the following organizations:

Member Services, American Bar Association, 541 North Fairbanks Court, Chicago, IL 60611-3314.

Law School Admission Services, P.O.  Box 40, Newtown, PA 18940. Phone: (215) 968-1001.

The specific requirements for admission to the bar in a particular State or other jurisdiction may also be obtained at the State capital from the clerk of the Supreme Court or the administrator of the State Board of Bar Examiners.

The American Bar Association annually publishes A Review of Legal Education in the United States, which provides detailed informationon each of the 177 law schools approved by the ABA, State requirements for admission to legal practice, a directory of State bar examination administrators, and other information on legal education.  Single copies are free from the ABA, but there is a fee for multiple copies.  Free information on the bar examination, financial aid for law students, and law as a career may also be obtained from:


