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Summary: The job description for a trial lawyer varies widely, with some days spent trying cases in court and other days gathering evidence. Find more information on a trial lawyer's job description with tips from an experienced lawyer and law professor in this free career information video.
John Kitch is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University Law School and has been practicing law since 1976. He principally practices in the areas of educational and probate law at both...read more
A lawyer, also called an attorney or counsel, is any person licensed to practice law. Traditionally, a trial lawyer argues a client's case before a judge or jury in a court of law after gathering evidence and using the laws of the state or country to plea the case. The qualifications to become a lawyer will vary greatly from country to country, but in the United States and many other countries, a lawyer will need a bachelor's degree and a law degree from an accredited law school. Lawyers also need to pass an examination known as the bar exam in the United States. Interested in becoming a trial lawyer? In this free career information video series, an experienced lawyer and law professor explain trial lawyer career information. Learn about qualifications for becoming a trial lawyer, typical trial lawyer salary and tips on how to become a trial lawyer. Get information on why to become a trial lawyer and a basic trial lawyer job description. Hear about one trial lawyer's funniest and hardest moments and get other interesting information about trial lawyer careers.
"As a lawyer who tries lawsuits. And that is when somebody has a dispute in a civil case that's the person that represents the person who has sued. And there's also a trial lawyer representing the person who has been sued. In the criminal context, it's the prosecutor or the defense attorney. But you a have very high ethical obligation to your client and to the legal system as a whole. You have the obligation, of course, to do your best, but to do it honorably and appropriately within the bounds of the law and your ethics. You're obviously trying to do the best you can for your client, which is to either win a lawsuit one way or the other, or settle it favorably. I have days that I spend on the telephone eight hours. I have days that I spend in court eight hours. I have days that I am preparing paperwork, dictating letters, and responding to letters. There are so many things. Interviewing witnesses, just meeting with clients, those sorts of things. There are so many things you can do in the law. And many of us are both trial lawyers and other kinds of lawyers. Some lawyers handle real estate matters, closing real estate transactions; for example, if you buy or sell a house. Other lawyers work for the government in varying positions. Other lawyers work for legal aide societies. Lawyers are involved in mergers and acquisitions where companies are bought and sold. There's just so many things that are involved. But there are a lot of lawyers who just don't want to be trial lawyers and so they have chosen some other aspect."
eHow Article: Trial Lawyer Job Description