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Lawyers

Also called: Attorney, Associate Attorney, Lawyer, Associate

What they do:
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
On the job, you would:
  • Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
  • Present evidence to defend clients or prosecute defendants in criminal or civil litigation.
  • Select jurors, argue motions, meet with judges and question witnesses during the course of a trial.

Knowledge

Safety and Government
  • law and government
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Business
  • customer service
  • management
Engineering and Technology
  • computers and electronics

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted
  • do two or more things at the same time

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Achievement/Effort

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software
  • Abacus Data Systems AbacusLaw
  • AdvantageLaw WinVantage
Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat software
  • LexisNexis HotDocs
Accounting software
  • BQE Software BillQuick
  • ESI Software ESILAW

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
doctoral/professional degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Salary
$113,310
per year, on average
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about lawyers.