Real Estate Attorney Careers
The job outlook for attorneys in the United States will rise 13 percent through the year 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job competition will be keen due to the number of law school graduates entering the U.S. job market each year. Therefore, you should cultivate a strong foundation in business law, take specialized real estate classes and develop superior negotiation skills to stand out amongst the other job applicants as a first-rate real estate attorney candidate, according to the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
As a real estate attorney, you provide legal representation and advice to individuals involved in the lease, sale or purchase of residences, estates, acreage and commercial buildings. As a result, you might provide legal counsel about topics such as environmental compliance, construction contracts, land-use regulations, real estate investments, governmental zoning restrictions, property management and development and financing options, according to the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Education
-
You must have a four-year undergraduate degree and a three-year law degree, or Juris Doctorate degree, to become an attorney, says the Bureau of Labor Statistic. You must also pass your state's bar examination to legally work as a lawyer in the U.S. Furthermore, you must acquire additional training in real estate law to practice in this field. University of Wisconsin Law says that employers expect that you take real estate taxes and real estate transactions classes before you apply for a real estate attorney position. However, the law school strongly suggests that you take electives such as mediation and negotiation, business organizations, income tax of real estate transactions, advanced legal writing, remedies and land-use classes to further set you apart from other job seekers in your field.
Additionally, you can receive a master's degree in real estate law to give you a competitive edge in the job market, according to the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Ill. Some areas you study during your pursuit of this advanced degree might be real estate finance, commercial real estate transactions, federal income tax aspects of real estate.
-
Potential
-
After completing your real estate attorney specialized training, you might gain employment with government agencies, corporate law departments or private law practices. You can also head your own real estate law business and work as an independent contractor for numerous real estate brokerage firms.
Earnings
-
Your yearly salary as a real estate attorney can vary widely depending upon your expertise in the field, the area of the U.S. in which you live and whether you work for yourself or take a salaried position with a corporation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic in 2008, attorneys in private practice made an average of $108,500 per year, while attorneys who worked for the government averaged $50,000 and attorneys who worked for corporations averaged $69,100 per year.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit real estate contract image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com
