Book Description
Whether you're thinking about law school, already a law student or a practicing attorney looking for the right fit, you'll find that the Official Guide to Legal Specialties is filled with practical information about the wide array of legal career options available to you. The book is based on interviews with 130 practicing attorneys in thirty different practice areas. Practice areas range from corporate practice to criminal litigation to intellectual property to environmental law---and everything in between. Some attorneys interviewed work in law firms, others in government agencies, and still others in corporations and public interest organizations. They all have one thing in common---they enjoy their work and look forward to getting up in the morning. As you read this book, you'll hear from attorneys who are passionate about practicing law, and you'll find out what makes their work not just exciting, but rewarding. To help law students, prospective law students, and law graduates learn about the skills, law school classes and law school experiences that would best prepare them for various practice areas, every attorney interviewed was asked the same set of questions: Where do attorneys in your practice specialty work? Who are your clients and what types of cases or issues do you work on? What daily activities are involved in your practice? What do you find rewarding about your field of practice? What path did you take to practice in this specialty area? What classes and law school experiences (such as internships, club membership, summer work experience, etc.) do you recommend to students? The Official Guide to Legal Specialties provides you with the information essential to career planning. It will help you identify the skills required by each practice area, and thus help you find the practice area or areas that best fit you. A good fit is the critical step in finding satisfaction in--and passion for--law practice.


Book Info
(Harcourt Legal and Professional Publications) A fast-paced guide to what it is like to practice law in 30 major specialty areas, from tax to entertainment. Also offers an inside look at the different environments lawyers work in, from government agencies to blue chip firms. Includes listings the best classes to take and activities to be in for each type of law. Softcover.


From the Author
During the years I spent as an assistant dean of career services at a Chicago law school, I worked with thousands of law students and alumni. I know first hand that finding a legal job is one thing, but finding a truly satisfying job, in which there is a good fit between the student or graduate and the employer, is another. There are many books that talk about how to look for a legal job. But until now, there has been little information about the available range of legal career options. That why the National Association for Law Placement developed this book. We spent more than two years (including hours of fascinating face-to-face and telephone interviews) gathering the information we knew students and alumni needed most---and The Official Guide to Legal Specialties is the result. Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the area of law, such as "What is Real Estate Law?" Then the chapters explore typical daily activities as well as advice for law students, including extensive quotes from the attorneys we interviewed. I encourage you to explore not just the areas of law that appeal to you at first glance, but additional areas as well. When I was in law school, it never crossed my mind to explore non-litigation careers. I never learned about specialty areas that would make the most of my counseling and relationship building skills. I never even remotely considered a career in estate planning, but, after interviewing the attorneys in the estate planning chapter I learned that it would be a very good match for my skills and interests. In reading this book, you'll learn that there are satisfied, enthusiastic lawyers in every practice specialty. And you'll be one step closer to finding a legal career that you're passionate about!

FROM THE PUBLISHER