lawyer

With so many television programs devoted to the portrayal of lawyers, it would seem that everyone should understand what a lawyer does. But televisions shows tend to focus on only one aspect of law--trials--and provide a somewhat exaggerated version of the profession. The legal system affects nearly every aspect of American society--because laws affect nearly every aspect of American society.

An individual with a criminal justice degree in law can have an immediate and major impact on the lives of others. A law degree allows one to defend a person who has been accused of a crime, provides the chance to right wrongs, creates the opportunity to help the little guy battle the big guy, and offers the ability to defend the Constitution from attacks by individuals, corporations, and governments. But those ideals are only a small portion of the actual professional demands.

Attorneys can work in a small town, a rural area, a big city, or even in another country. A law degree qualifies graduates to start their own practices or work with larger law firms, after passing the bar exam in their state. Law is the most common profession of people who move into politics; both Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were lawyers who became presidents of the United States.

A law degree can provide nearly unlimited career opportunities, because all professions need people who are skilled at interpreting the words and actions of individuals and organizations. With your JD, you can work as an attorney or as a consultant with a company that more closely represents your personal interests. A graduate with an interest in communications, for example, may choose to work for a media company.