A Day in the Life of a Lawyer - What Does a Lawyer Actually Do?
2020 ж. 23 Ақп.
365 799 Рет қаралды
Ah yes, it's the question that most aspiring young lawyers want to know, and sometimes the hardest one to get an answer to. Is a day in the life of a lawyer filled with glamour, long lunches and exciting banter? Let's find out as you follow me through a fairly normal day... sort of.
as a law student, this video was depressing for me
LMAOO
Oh dear - were you hoping for something different?
Tips For Lawyers AKKSKSKSKKSK oml 😭😭😭
Lol
How?
Finally someone who gives an honest insight thank you. Being a lawyer is made to be an exciting, demanding and rewarding job but in reality as you've conveyed: It seems to be quite tedious, repetitive and honestly looks to be depressing over long hours.
Ah well - it has its upsides too :-) But it's certainly not day after day of attractive people walking side by side through neverending hallways having sassy, clever conversations about stuff :-)
@@TipsforlawyersAus what about suits, do you wear them on a day to day basis? 😏 You know, for someone that says they dont engage in lots of sassy talk, your tone in the video and comments is at least slyly sassy ;)
That’s every office job
@@deer5224 In fact, that's EVERY job. Most people enter a career thinking it's awesome and fun but it's just boring in reality. Movies give people wrong expectations. If you become a doctor, you think that you'll do master science work and cure diseases when in reality, you're just going to be arguing with patients who won't listen to your prescriptions. If you become a lawyer, you think you'll be defending and prosecuting high profile criminals and clients but in reality, you're just going to be writing boring paperwork, pleadings, drafts, etc. If you become an architect, you think you'll be designing skyscrapers when in reality, you'd be designing boring old apartment blocks. If you become a cop, you think you'll be raiding houses, shooting your guns, arresting people but in reality, you'll be driving around the city waiting for someone to run over a red light or speed so you can actually do something for once. If you become a special agent, you think you'll be doing some James Bond-esque spy stuff but in reality, you'll be doing paperwork like writing reports of your day, putting your signatures on cases, etc. I could go on forever. -A law student.
@@IssyFishyy Yeah, we should be baseball players, arguing with umpires and with the players of the other team, spitting, cursing, taking showers naked with the team mates,etc, of course being an athlete is somthing of talent and hard work and not depened of memorization, at least is exciting and fun most of the time
"it's mainly reading stuff and writing stuff" Me, who loves reading and writing stuff: Hell yeah!
Same lol 😂😂✋
Same it sounds good and challenging career
Same here !
I got quite excited when they said that.
As long as there’s no coding lol
I'd love to be a lawyer, but it's seems depressing and at the same time it seems exciting.
I think Lawyer is the coolest job I’ve ever heard
like everything it has its ups and its downs - not sure there are many careers that aren't the same in that respect :-)
That depends in what you like, if you want to work outside, maybe in different places and maybe different countries, Civil Engineering is a career that offers that
Me too
I’ve been working as a lawyer for over 5 years and this is the best comment i’ve seen that really describes the job as it is the best!
People really complaining about sitting comfortably reading writing making phone calls? While making good income? Wow, some ppl out there making min wage struggling hate their job, this seems decent
I agree with you!
It's actually a pretty good job to have. Does come with a few downsides though :-)
@@TipsforlawyersAus what are the downsides?
But some people who are paid minimum wage didn't even try to get a degree and a better job
@@williamfleming3115 Occasional (weekly) sacrifice of your soul, social life, and health to the law gods
This is the most informative when it comes to the reality of working as a lawyer. Thanks a lot!
most welcome
As a lawyer who owns his own firm, I can confirm this.
R u joking or is it for real?😂
I can't believe people really think all lawyers do the same thing. Law is just like medicine. Not all surgeons do the same thing and as with law nowadays it is mostly paper pushing unless you get presented with something truly outlandish. So yes. Law, much like being a surgeon is walking around the building talking to staff but mostling being in ur office
@@thestockfother good money tho don't u agree?
@@thestockfother wait what? A surgeon has a much more practical job, he analyses data to make diagnoses and forms a plan --> implements plan later. Yes he keeps files, forms and all non medical stuff what makes them hate the job because they want to perform medicine, not paperwork. All a lawyer does is paperwork, how is this the same? All jobs have more and more paperwork, i agree to that.
@@Hali-nr7jx it depends. If ur just looking at the money maybe. But to factor in all the cost factors including time. You may "just" (inch) out ahead over the long term. And thats only i u live within ur means as a doctor. It many cases am accountant ends up better financially. Making money doesn't mean good mgmt. So if u want my opinion, i would say no. Not for the ROI unless your parents are paying and u won't be on a bean's and rice lifestyle. I had a choice comjg out of military. I chose to keep my inheritance to invest it over spending on a physician assistant/med degree. I could make 100k with the same effort with an accounting degree vs 200 guaranteed but with 400k in loans before interest. Most people aren't that long term oriented quantitatively though
This actually made me happy because I'm really scared to talk to people
you will be a master of slightly disdainful, passive-aggressive emails in no time then
When it was so boring you found more interest in the comments
welcome to private practice
Thank you for your total honesty. And the music is perfectly suited.
amazing how long it took to find the music :-)
Honestly it depends on what type of Law you are a Lawyer of, many folk think when you are a lawyer, you basically handle EVERYTHING that the Law has to offer, while the option to do so IS available but often times it is wise if a Lawyer specializes in one field and hones that till they are essentially an expert in it. Hence i'd say Criminal Law is pretty interesting because you get to be face to face with clients that may or may not be criminals, you deconstruct their respective cases and find solutions to the problems that present themselves. It is WAY more interesting than say Civil cases that just drag on and on till the parties decide to maybe come to a compromise. Corporate Law is essentially what this video is fully about.
I heard to never do any kind of divorce court cause that shit will fuck you up
Ah well - it's true I have a corporate background. Nice spot :-) And yes.. replying to this a year later, in true corporate style.
The problem with Criminal law is you are dealing with Criminals. Usually they aren't the brightest, don't do what you ask/say and can't or won't pay their bills.
@@Tm3filmsis it not for the light hearted? I’m curious actually
@@1980syuppieif you're curious about criminal law then yes i would say it's not for the light hearted. It requires you to be stone cold so that your clients actually listen to what you have to say. As more often than naught you're dealing with folk that are chest deep in shit and STILL think good advice feom their lawyer is not worth their time.
lawyer expectation: Public speaking and court everyday Reality: WATCH THE VIDEO AGAIN
I try to be real - at least from my personal context :-)
it depends to your field I suppose
It depends on the country. America’s legal system is different in australia the lawyers arent like the american ones debating in a court room. Its mostly paperwork
The main reson i want to be a lawyer is bc im nosey af🤣 and i also love peperwork
if you love paperwork then this is definitely the right place to be.
Lmfaoooo haha that’s my reason too .. nosey asf 🤣🤣
I sometimes forget how boring our jobs actually are :D
Dont worry I can find time to diminish my boredom by watching animes
You probably waste your clients time and make them beg you to help them like the rest of the snakes in your profession
suddenly i dont want to take law at a levels anymore
Glad I could help :-)
Tips For Lawyers 😭😭😭💀💀💀
@@TipsforlawyersAus 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You forgot to mention a round of golf with the judge
Alas my golf game is terrible - his or her Honour would be finished and ordering a pint before I was done at the third hole I suspect...
This was really good to watch :) I have a few lawyer friends who have told me that most of their day is reading. That makes a lot of sense writing would be involved and I am surprised how there's not too much direct client work at first! Thank you for making this video :)
This had me chuckling. Love the dry presentation and subtle humour. My family has a few lawyers in it and they pretty much say the same thing.
Weirdly enough, this makes me want to be a lawyer even more. I went from pre-med to pre-law, I'd much rather do repetitive reading and writing since I love it anyways than to always have an adrenaline rush, trying to stay composed while rushing to help patients at a hospital.
In a shocking turn of events, this video convinced me that being a Lawyer is the career for me. This kind of stuff is my jam.
same!!!!
The number of times you said “stuff”- lol! So chill! I love it!
there's a lot of stuff involved :-)
Actually thought it was quite interesserting tbh. As a person who battles between being a College teacher or a lawyer, I must say that every job can get boring at times - I'm working at a factory right now, before I move on to a university. Glad I finally found a video that explained what a Lawyer is actually doing! Greetings from Denmark
Greetings from Aus :-) It's true - any job has its moments both high and low
I love how you explained everything. I feel excited about it.
As a person who loves reading and writing this has really cleared a decision in my head on wether I’ll go for doctor or lawyer. Both professions help people and pretty much have the same salaries in the ph. I can’t wait to become a lawyer
I’m on the same struggle bus
Lawyers don't make as much as physicians especially surgeons but physicians have to go through med school than a residency.
Doctors earn more money lol the difference is the instruction time
Lol same
Same here too. Although I've got a Bsc in civil engineering...I feel there's a lot to be done in my countries law space.
That's right-- it's not that exciting. Emails, reading, some phone calls, drafting up and reviewing documents. Going to court once in a while. I have only had one jury trial in my career, and one bench trial in superior court. Most cases settle.
What do you mean by settle? Do you have a meeting with your client and the other side and decide how much to pay and stuff? I'm just in middle school and really curious but have 0 clue. Would mean a lot if you could reply
@@calvinmathew250 settle = agreeing that, despite the fact we don't agree we'll agree on something that we all find awful but can live with.
because if we don't agree it will be awfuler.
Thank you so much! I actually wanted to become a lawyer to have a consistent and stable income. But I wanted to live a life doing the things I love.
So what did you decide on?
do the things you love. if you become an expert in your field (no matter what it is), the money will flow to you (you may just have to be a little creative about it).
Why does this honestly look fun to me?
I Know right? I feel the same lol
You must both be very impressive humans.
Yea me too haha
I have a law degree and just had this thought like, "Hey why am I not using it?? Maybe I should be a lawyer!" Watching this, I remember why! Thanks for the video haha. I am trying to go into policy instead :)
Haha this is me. Except I have a double degree and ended up going with the other degree as law just seemed too boring and limiting (I want the option to work abroad) but I know I have my degree there if I ever want to go back to it
@@ye23. what degree/degrees did you end up getting cuz this sounds like me too!
@@ye23.If you don’t mind me asking, what is your other degree?
Thank you for your honesty😂👍 very true and puts all jobs into perspective
I'm 24 and I finally just grew the balls to actually do something with my life. Im a late bloomer but that just means that I need to work harder then my competition.
I'm 26 and decided as well. Good luck my friend
We have a maturity advantage
good luck i wish you the best
24 is young, and a great age to decide to go back to school. What 17/18-year-old really knows what they want to do for the rest of their life? Not many. Which is why there’s a lot of kids with school debt and degrees that they don’t care for
@@jacklinh8111 I dropped out with a 4.0. I have met more stupid people in college than I did in The US Army and thats saying a lot. I dont like college people half are cool the other half are brain dead
Thank you for this honest video!
Thanks for the reality check. This video is brilliant.
I remember very clearly whilst in pre-law school being told to “act like a lawyer”. The irony in fact was the very man(my department head and main professor for second year law classes) was lying about his law degree. He was removed from the college for doing just that; “acting like a lawyer “. Perhaps it’s best to save the “acting” for post bar exams rather than the other way round.
1:26 lmao the way he’s just sitting there like💀
This seems great and fun in a way
why is this comforting
it's the light-hearted and calming music I reckon :-)
Im a lawyer, work for a senior lawyer and 90% of the time work is putting down fires and making sure you wont get behind time on due dates. The fun part of hearings and facing the court is 10% of the time. Sometimes you would prepare for a big trial, but settled the day before so...way more free time than i thought. And way worse working chances than i thought.
This is so interesting. I would love to do this all day.
I’m interested in law as a career and I really like this video and how it shows the true nature of the job and furthers my interest in it
"it shows the true nature of the job and furthers my interest in it" this is the most depressing thing I've read in a long while.
Lol I love this video🤣You just made me love law so much!!!!
am i the only one who found it actually really exciting and interesting??
Yes.
The music is the cherry on top
This is so relatable 😩
I’m graduating high school this year and I’m career searching. I came across this video because I wonder what its really like being a lawyer. After watching the video, I realized that job isn’t for me because I don’t like the idea of sitting down in a office and doing the same task for 40hrs a week.
What u doing now
nd doing the same task for 40hrs a week. for 40 years. Actually every matter is different and so can add some variety and difference, but in the end it becomes all quite similar as you specialise. This occurs in every industry (think of a mechanic, and then specialize in a brand of car, and so can earn more money). The most important thing is finding what you love to do.
This was very helpful, research and that kind of stuff lack credibility, and I can only just go as far as I can, thank you, sir.
This was funny! And true! Lol
‘You will check your emails...’ Me finishing the sentence: ...to finally do the one and only productive thing for the day.
Thank you for the video, I'm currently 15 and wish to become a lawyer. I've always wondered how a lawyer's day goes c:
Iam still shocked after watching this video,I thought it would be like movies ppl walking here and here and talking about intelligence things going to the court ,I don't know what to become in the future it's so haaaard😟
There are lots of intelligent discussions, and a lot of intellectual and emotional work - but it bears no resemblance to movies or television... at all.
@Christopher Mendes do not fear failure. Fear not trying in the first place.
@@TipsforlawyersAus I think its very different for american lawyers. They do the arguing in court thing a lot lol. Their careers look more interesting but also more stressful
This looks fantastic to me. I'm a writer/editor. Although I do like people, for work I prefer to be alone (I focus easier that way). I enjoy working with paperwork and writing and reading. I have a degree that fits in with becoming a lawyer and just need to get a JD. Any advice on where to start to get experience while not quite having the JD degree yet?
become a paralegal. You will certainly have a step up when you finally get your law degree.
Just a trainee here. It is fascinating to know that nothing will ever change about my routine. Really it is.
What about the money?
Quick question. How much does it matter when it comes to law schools is there a major difference between a big known top law school vs a state law school? I'm curious as I'm in the middle of choosing next year where to apply and want to not feel bad when I get denied by top law colleges. Thank you if this gets answered.
Thanks for the video
Lol, this is so funny. I will love love love to collaborate with you. A lot of people think we spend the entire day in court and making a trailer load of money. 😂
Sadly I left my trailer somewhere and I can't find it.
Tips For Lawyers lol, mine is lost in transit
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Haha, I am an attorney in North Carolina and agree with you. Where is my trailer of cash?
@@aalegalfocus I’m also searching for it
You may be surprised, but the life of an engineer is very similar. Long hours trapped in a cubicle writing reports and reading documentation. Getting suffocated by your tie while sipping on some luke warm coffee to prevent your eyes from closing.
So you're saying... Dilbert was right all along?
😂 "If you have convinced yourself somehow that television has any truth for you..." 😂 so funny. lol
This video is very accurate.
this is interesting, i was looking for a job where i just read and write most of the time, pretty relaxing, didnt know a lawyer does this
admittedly I'm pretty chill in the overall scheme of things - other lawyers might be a bit less relaxed sometimes :-)
this really helped me of being a good lawyer.
whenever you see media like movies and tv shows portraying jobs, its always a good idea to see the jobs in real life too
I think movies and shows are to blame for mental health problems in america. Low job satisfaction and over all life satisfaction because we compare our lives to some fake movie.
As a lawyer I love my career , l love my workplace and colleagues.
This video was great hahhah!!
And this is why I decided not to go to law school after working as a paralegal for 2 years. Not sure what law he practices but in some areas he forgot to mention that most of the time the attorney will hand off the work to a paralegal to draft only for him to read and sign.
are you in the U.S ? First time hearing of this .
2:02 puts his hand on wasd ready to play some warzone he is that bored
Got two monitors for a reason :-)
what about litigators? for example if you were a criminal lawyer, would you spend more time in court than maybe someone doing civil law?
Looks interesting to me :D
why did you make this so depressing...crushing my dreams man
Thank you
A criminal defence attorney here. It is all part of the show really. You will make tons of research, write submissions, have a fight with public prosecutors and judges, go to penitentiaries to pay your client a visit, go to hearings... Everything really. But you will also attend meetings, parties, receptions, travel a lot, make friends... Sure it has its ups and downs but ups are far more superior I would say. If you are willing to become one, just stick to it.
Hi I’m interested in becoming a lawyer and was wondering if I could interview you to ask some questions regarding the career field ?
@@leahchristian8936 I'd be happy to!
How did you realise you wanted to do law?
Awesome, what did you study in college before becoming a lawyer? what majors do you recommend?
Sounds about as exciting as my job - CPA
I love you for saying this out loud.... And this is exactly what I want to do... Also, no offence, you remind me of Danny D.
Sounds like fun! My handwriting is bad though. Do lawyers do more typing or writing? Also, as an aspiring law student, would you recommend Law School if someone was interested in pursuing law, and also what steps do you think someone interested in law should take to see if law is the best field choice for them?
Interesting questions. Pretty sure bad handwriting is mandatory - at least I know few lawyers who have good handwriting. Law school is largely mandatory if you want to be a lawyer - so no choices there. If you want to find out whether law is for you, speak to some actual lawyers and ask them what they do in a day - find out if that sounds good or not. Don't just say "do you like being a lawyer" because that provides no helpful information...
typing, everything is typing. in fact the only hand writing you do is for correcting documents (but now thats done in docs anyway). Learn how to touch type.
This guy seems so genuine and nice, so I’m sorry for saying this but I have to: you have serious serial killer vibes and it’s very interesting
Guess I'm going to nursing school. There's no more debating after I saw this video lol.
on the up side, it helped you make up your mind :-)
i ironically don’t like engaging in arguments and debates so i like some aspects lmao
what type of lawyer are you? i'm curious how what you specialize in plays a role. i'm working on my bachelor's in English but i'm considering to go for law after :')
I am a litigation lawyer, believe it or not :-)
i’m trying to pick between the medical field and law and i have no idea what to pick. the medical field seems exiting and cool but at the same time being a lawyer seems to not be that bad either. i kinda wanted to travel and i thought being a lawyer would be best for that. i have no idea what to choose. 😭
My suggestion is this: don't pick the job that seems most exciting. Pick the job that most closely aligns with the best way you think you can help people, knowing yourself as you do. Other good things generally follow
Most lawyers don't travel ... unless you want to drive around to boring towns doing SSDI appeals.
if by medical field you mean a 'doctor' then definitely pick that up
@@jalal3254 why?
Lawyers in australia can only practice within their own state. This is because every jurisdiction has their own laws so if you want to travel or practice out of state this will involve further study or even your degree not meaning anything at all. So if you like to travel scratch law out of the equation
My kind of job
basically lawyers check email, talk to people on phone and in person, writing love letters and hate letters, and arguing with people
Taking a bus. Riding an elevator. Sitting in a cubicle. Drinking coffee by yourself. This has nothing to do with being a lawyer. 😂
Hey man I was wondering what do do if I get a no caller id for prank calling and say they will call the police also don’t include name
I know this seems like a boring job and stuff but I’ve always just wanted to work in an office and I’m not good at math and I love to read and write so it’s like perfect lol (I’m also majoring in English so its not like anything I wouldn’t already be doing)
When you become a lawyer do you have to speak aloud, and have a good vocabulary? And for middle schools what is best for them to do to become a lawyer?
You will probably have to speak aloud, but not always in Court or other public settings. Many lawyers spend most of their time in the. A good vocab helps but isn't essential. I'm not sure anything in middle school will make a huge difference in terms of becoming a lawyer. Hope that helps a bit :-)
Does being a lawyer makes you rich? I mean how much is the salary?
Am I broken if this doesn't stop me from being a lawyer?😂😂
Definitely not.
I'm going to be a lawyer. Thanks!
Currently a med student, but really second guessing my decision (so so stressful- my hair is literally falling out in clumps).. anyone gone from being a doctor to being a lawyer? Or med school to law school?
I'm sure it's possible :-) If the 21st century has given us anything, it's an abundance of choice.
I went from med school to law school ( med school was boring and stressful, it didn’t feel like rewarding ) My advice would be to think a lot about your advantages and disadvantages to switch !
@@Widad.A med school was boring? You must have no interest in the human boddy, science or pathology?
How do I specialize as a lawyer? I'm interested in practicing in medical litigation... thanks for your awesome videos for those who want to be lawyers like me. :D
Great question - probably have to do a whole video on it though rather than try to answer in a comment!
Now that the work from home revolution has happened, I don’t see why I can’t do pretty much all of this at home.
And I was told there no options out there for me when I said I like reading and writing
Hello.. How can I confirm that whether I would become a good lawyer or not Is there any special behaviour or skills or qualties that I should develop Y bcs I want to become a lawyer .
I need help in 2 years from now I'll be going to law school after I finish my associates degree in social sciences then graduate from high school and I'm conflicted. I want to become a criminal lawyer but I love biology and sciences. And I know that biology would be good in working on case files but still and then I'd love to have a job that deals with a lot of travelling and languages. I do love the idea of being a lawyer but still where my interest lies is quite different. I'm thinking if I have the passion to be a lawyer or if it's because I don't have a major I want to do. I seemed so confident but now I'm second guessing myself. I don't want to waste my parents money and go to do a major I don't wanna be apart of in the long run. But also I can't take a gap year because I need to figure this out like right now. I'm also wondering if being a lawyer takes away my time as a youth. What if I want a family in the future I want time for my kids and husband as well. I want my kids to feel loved and that I'm there for them and that I'm not always working.
You need to make a decision and stick to it
Or just do job shadowing and see if it’s a job you really want or can handle
This is much better suited for my personality than being a doctor they are always on the line
I also want to be a lawyer+advocate+barrister 💓🙂
Wait so when do the arguments in court happen and you get to be in a popular case and show up on tv for a big name celebrity ?
so im in high school,, majoring in biology this year for college. im torn between medical malpractice lawyer, environmental lawyer, and civil rights lawyer. help
honestly you're probably nowhere near needing to make that decision are you? No need to panic at all just yet I'd say. Embark on college and find out what still remains interesting then.
I'm thinking of being a lawyer
Do u earn money like going on the computer aswell and working on that?
I have a few different roles in life :-)
Do u need A grades in high school to be a lawyer?