Becoming a Lawyer

Becoming a Rechtsanwalt can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s also hard work. “You have to be resilient,” says Iona Sjahadi, an associate lawyer at HBA Legal in Australia.

Whether you’re Meghan Markle binge-watching Suits or simply interested in the law, there are many paths to becoming an attorney. However, all lawyers have similar basic responsibilities: upholding the law and protecting their clients’ rights.
Legal Advice

Legal advice is when an attorney gives their opinion on a particular case that you may have. It takes into account specific laws and your special circumstance to give you a course of action. It’s very important that you seek legal advice from a licensed professional who has the education, knowledge and experience to give you sound counsel.

While there are a lot of places to get legal information, you should be very careful where you go for it. A good rule of thumb is to never rely on online legal information. There are many disclaimers on websites that say that they do not create an attorney-client relationship with you and that you should consult your own lawyer before relying on their information.

Legal Advisors who work with a corporation or organization are responsible for giving advice on labor and employment issues, corporate policy, contracts and general legal issues that come up. They must have excellent written and oral communication, critical thinking and organizational skills.
Legal Research

Legal research is a critical skill for lawyers to possess. Whether it is researching a case, statute or law journal article, knowing how to effectively navigate the research process is essential for obtaining quality information and ensuring that all pertinent details are included.

Often times, the best place to begin legal research is with secondary sources such as legal encyclopedias and treatises. These resources provide thorough summaries of specific areas of the law and can save you a significant amount of time by identifying key cases and statutes.

However, a lawyer must be careful when using these tools because they should be able to recognize the difference between a useful and unproductive source of information. The latter may have a different interpretation of a particular legal topic or may not even be relevant to the current issue at hand. In addition, the lawyer must be sure to verify that the cited case law is still considered good law.
Litigation

Litigation is the process of resolving a dispute through the public court system. It starts when a plaintiff files paperwork for formal legal action and gets jurisdiction (authority) over the defendant.

This process is typically the last resort to settle a conflict. In litigation, the judge will rule on the case based on evidence and facts presented. The judge can order compensation from the defendant or dismiss the case entirely.

Lawyers often help clients obtain the money they are owed. This is known as collection litigation.

Pre-suit litigation includes a thorough investigation to determine if a party has a valid claim. It also involves sending demand letters to the party that caused harm. This is designed to convince them that the plaintiff has a legitimate complaint and that they are owed money for the damages suffered. This also allows the parties to avoid a costly lawsuit. Then comes the discovery phase. Litigators exchange written questions and evidence such as interrogatories, requests for admission and depositions.
Client Counseling

Client counseling is a very crucial part of the legal profession. It involves an interactive conversation between the lawyer and his client where the client opens up to share his problem, expresses his views and expectations and discusses his situation with the lawyer who listens attentively.

It is important to remember that the judges observing your performance during a client counseling competition are not testing your legal knowledge. They are assessing your ability to counsel the client and offer a practical solution to his problem. They also look at the comfort level which you have built up with the client and whether he would be willing to come back to you again.

The client expects the lawyer to make an assessment of his legal problem and discuss the various options available to him. He also expects the lawyer to explain the advantages and disadvantages of those options. The lawyer must not make any false promises to the client as this goes against professional ethics.