Careers · Explore one path
Lawyers
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.
Other titles employers use
Attorney · Attorney at Law · Attorney General · Counsel · County Attorney · District Attorney · General Counsel · Lawyer
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and analytical work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Complex Problem Solving
Subjects to know
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.6 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 1.9 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.4 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 1.2 | Little of the day |
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Document management software
- Project management software
- Presentation software
- Electronic mail software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 122,300
- Job openings each year
- 5,960
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 14.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 122,300 | 5,960 | 14.8% |
| New York | 103,830 | 780 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 76,380 | 3,800 | 16.6% |
| Texas | 69,640 | 3,690 | 22.1% |
| District of Columbia | 43,920 | 1,800 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 37,840 | 1,660 | 7.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 33,170 | 1,470 | 8.1% |
| New Jersey | 28,070 | 1,180 | 5.0% |
| Georgia | 25,030 | 1,170 | 11.8% |
| Colorado | 23,450 | 1,240 | 22.2% |
| Ohio | 21,690 | 880 | 2.7% |
| Virginia | 21,040 | 880 | 4.8% |
| Maryland | 20,520 | 950 | 10.9% |
| Michigan | 19,190 | 810 | 4.9% |
| Washington | 18,880 | 1,050 | 10.5% |
| North Carolina | 18,520 | 870 | 12.3% |
| Missouri | 16,460 | 740 | 8.6% |
| Arizona | 15,130 | 740 | 15.4% |
| Minnesota | 14,990 | 660 | 7.5% |
| Indiana | 12,240 | 560 | 10.3% |
| Tennessee | 12,080 | 610 | 17.7% |
| South Carolina | 11,030 | 540 | 14.7% |
| Louisiana | 10,460 | 460 | 7.9% |
| Connecticut | 10,300 | 430 | 4.9% |
| Wisconsin | 10,240 | 430 | 4.7% |
| Massachusetts | 9,510 | 420 | 7.5% |
| Oregon | 8,460 | 370 | 6.8% |
| Alabama | 8,390 | 380 | 8.7% |
| Oklahoma | 8,240 | 380 | 10.3% |
| Kentucky | 7,930 | 340 | 5.9% |
| Nevada | 7,500 | 370 | 15.0% |
| Utah | 6,190 | 310 | 17.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 6,180 | 300 | 14.4% |
| Kansas | 5,440 | 240 | 6.9% |
| Iowa | 4,860 | 220 | 10.5% |
| Arkansas | 4,500 | 210 | 9.8% |
| Nebraska | 4,450 | 200 | 9.3% |
| New Mexico | 4,430 | 210 | 11.3% |
| Rhode Island | 4,360 | 200 | 9.0% |
| Mississippi | 4,350 | 200 | 10.1% |
| West Virginia | 3,340 | 140 | 6.0% |
| Idaho | 3,220 | 160 | 13.8% |
| Montana | 3,110 | 150 | 16.5% |
| Delaware | 2,990 | 120 | 2.0% |
| Maine | 2,860 | 120 | 4.8% |
| New Hampshire | 2,300 | 110 | 10.6% |
| North Dakota | 2,100 | 90 | 5.5% |
| Vermont | 1,690 | 70 | 7.6% |
| Wyoming | 1,460 | 70 | 16.8% |
| South Dakota | 1,410 | 70 | 11.0% |
| Alaska | 1,030 | 40 | −1.0% |
| Virgin Islands | 420 | 20 | 2.4% |
| Guam | 230 | 10 | 9.5% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
James Madison University
- Degrees each year
- 70
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Drexel University
- Degrees each year
- 27
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $35,000
Amherst College
- Degrees each year
- 23
- Admit rate
- 10%
- Annual cost after aid
- —
Winona State University
- Degrees each year
- 15
- Admit rate
- 69%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Pennsylvania Western University
- Degrees each year
- 12
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Florida Memorial University
- Degrees each year
- 6
- Admit rate
- 74%
- Annual cost after aid
- $24,000
Unity Environmental University
- Degrees each year
- 1
- Admit rate
- 82%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Compare every college offering legal research and advanced professional studies