For the Good of My Fellow Man

Damien | future lawyer

It holds that after law school a graduate will always get a job at a law firm, private business, with the government, at a public interest organization, in the judiciary, or in the halls of academia. However, that is not the case for an approximate forty-three percent of law school graduates who won't get a long term or full time job in a law office or firm (http://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2014/04/american_bar_associa4.html). So why do I long to start a career in a field of study that has such a high number of graduates unemployed even after passing the bar and finishing college?

My intention is to become a military attorney, or perhaps a District Attorney, then possibly an Attorney General, but not for money, prestige or power like most people would believe. I would like to pursue a career in law for the good of my fellow man, for the help I can proffer.

My only interest would be that when I am in the court of law I would make sure that justice is served, and that the criminals or those who take advantage of the public trust will not benefit when they are in court. The experience of learning what U.S. citizen's encounter each time they are selected to participate in court as a jury member, the machinations of the halls where justice is served, all that make up the levels of this system I want to take in, and I would revel in the experience.

I also cherish the idea that I would learn more about how the world runs even though there's "no rest for the wicked" cultivates constancy on the clock, a need for me to be forever vigilant and on task. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that I may still have interactions with my family, and perhaps more than a complete lack of a social life.

The aspect of the job that I believe would be the most pleasant for me would be the portion that most lawyers dislike as it takes the most time out of an advisor's work day; researching legal questions, drafting persuasive arguments, preparing for and taking depositions, preparing for trial and negotiating settlements. I believe these segments of the job would be the most engaging for me because I am an avid reader, love strategizing, and also admire the pursuit of knowledge.

The aspect of being in court as a lawyer scares me when I dwell on it because in that arena more than most I have to choose my words carefully, not just mumble whatever comes to my mind at a given time, such as when I have to call upon a witness or a victim. Furthermore, the idea that I have to be almost perfect in court frightens me. Excellence is expected, but perfection is desired. Then again, the possibility of showing the jury and the judge not just why I passed the bar, but why I will accomplish so much in this field excites me and fills me with resolve. My belief in the world as a bettered place due my service, that justice is a guiding and a principal facet of what society requires, holds me fast to my dream.

I realize that law school, the bar, and searching for a job in the government will take a great deal of hard work. If however, long and arduous hours that means that I can continue to pursue this dream, that of becoming a lawyer, then I welcome it. A career in life should be something that I can plan for and work for, not just something I leave as an afterthought for the last year of college. In this respect, I am thankful and fortunate above all to have hopefully found my calling.

References

Advertisement. (2014, April 9). Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2014/04/american_bar_associa4.html