Where do lawyers live?

By: Katie Nagy

      I often hear people in college say where they are going to live after they graduate. I overhear conversations like, “I want to be an writer, so I’m moving to New York City” or, “I want to work in the music business, so I’m going to Los Angeles”. It seems to be a common preconception among college students that you will most likely have to move to a new city in order to have your desired job. I always pictured law as a job that you could do anywhere, whether a big city like New York, or a small town in Texas that no one has ever heard of. When I started to research this topic, I was surprised to learn that where you practice law has an impact on your salary. These are the top five cities with the highest median income for lawyers (Patrice):

1) San Jose, California- $184, 600

2) Danbury, Connecticut- $174, 540

3) San Francisco, California- $172, 080

4) Napa, California- $171,380

5) Dothan, Alabama- $170, 390

                                                                           

      According to the U.S. News and World Report, lawyers have a median salary of $112, 760, so every city on this list makes at least $57,000 more per year than the national income (Patrice para. 3). It does not take professional analysts to notice something interesting on this list; the state of California fills 3 out of the 5 spots for higher incomes. If a young lawyer coming out of law school was using this list to base their decision on where to move, California would look like a safe bet. When looking at the reason why these 5 states have a higher income for lawyers, it often comes down to what companies/corporation are also located in that state. San Jose, California is located in the Silicon Valley, and with over 6,000 technology corporations, there are a lot of opportunities for lawyers to make big bucks. The city of Danbury in Connecticut hosts a huge pharmaceutical company and a federal prison, both of which give lawyers reason to move into the city. San Francisco has a lot of wealthy companies in the city, for example the social media website Twitter, and Napa Valley is home to corporations like Bell Products. The last city- Dothan- is not a well-known city, and there are no big, wealthy corporations like in the other cities on the list, but it is the location of the legal trade group, The National Trial Lawyers (Patrice para. 4). 

     I find it interesting enough to note that corporations are almost always the reason for higher salaries of lawyers, and I find it safe to assume that corporate lawyers most often have higher incomes than trial lawyers. While I do believe that income is an important factor to look at when deciding where to live, or what career you want in the future, I also believe there are a lot more crucial components that come into deciding important matters in someone’s life.

Works Cited

Map of USA. Digital image. Free Large Images. Free Large Images, n.d. Web. 30 

        Sept. 2015.

Patrice, Joe. "Where Is The Best Place To Live For A Lawyer?" Above the

          Law. Breaking Media Inc., 12 June 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.

How to become an Economist!

          In this post, I will show you guys a step by step guide on how to become an economist. First of all, you need to have a passion for learning economics. Also, you need to be good at math, communicating, and writing since economists have to do work like analyzing data, interacting, with clients and writing research. You should probably start reading about current economic events or news to keep you updated and then you can use that knowledge to write paper in economics classes that you enter. Obviously if you want to become an Economists, you need to get accepted into college. After that the next step is getting your degree in economics. Dive right into classes that lead to an economics major such as microeconomics and macroeconomics.

        You also need to take classes like marketing, finance and accounting. Other than that, you need to take mathematics classes like calculus and statistic because being an economist, you need to know how to analyze formula. For gaining more knowledge, you need to take classes like history or political sciences so that you can enhance your writing and communications skills. After getting a degree in Economics, I suggest you guys consider getting a master’s degree so that your will have more opportunities to find jobs. This helps you to enhance your knowledge about economics and thus you can learn how to make your own research paper in higher level ways.

       Next step, you may need to do an internship while you are in college in order to get a balance of experience prior to your degree so that you can plan your future jobs. Then, you can consider getting your PhD because with more education, the more possibilities to getting paid more. Besides, you can be a lecturer instead of working in the office and you can get more opportunities to involve in professional organizations such as the Association for Social Economics and the National Association for Business Economists.

        Thus, you can have a great connections and job opportunities in the future. The last step is, find your desired jobs. During job interviews, you must have a good communication and brain thinking skills so that you can answered all the questions in the proper ways. Avoid being nervous because interviewers need someone who they can put their trust on to work in their companies. After getting a job as an Economists, you must be patient in your climb up the career ladder. I hope this steps can help you to become a great economists!

Thank you.
By: Syarah Alya


Source : " http://www.wikihow.com/Become-an-Economist "

Prompt #2: Defining Ethics

       Lawyers have a reputation for being greedy, narcissistic, and basically a donkey’s derriere. It is unclear where this negative association spiraled from, but this stereotype of lawyers as manipulative is something I have witnessed in the media through films such as The Firm and Michael Clayton. I have always watched these movies with a grain of salt, keeping in mind Hollywood’s tendency to blow things out of proportion. I decided to take a closer look at the actual code of ethics used by lawyers to see what was actually practiced in comparison to their perceived behavior.

      I did not realize that every state has their own unique set of rules for legal conduct. I assumed that each state’s rules must not differ immensely since the American Bar Association was able to create overall guidelines. On the other hand, I was not the least bit surprised to see how excessive and detailed these codes were. Everything was covered from the proper way to communicate with a client to the specific duties of a lawyer. Lawyers are supposed to always be truthful, serve their client’s interest, respect third parties, and so much more (“Model Rules of Professional Conduct”). Reading these responsibilities did not deter me away, actually it solidified my interest since many of the rules aligned with my morals.

      A video I came across, during my search, was about a human rights lawyer who had set aside her personal beliefs in order to represent her client’s needs. Watching this video made me realize that a lawyer’s job is not to judge or discriminate but to make sure they can represent every individual’s needs in spite of the fact that there are some terrible people out there. For the most part, I think I would be able to set aside my personal ideologies in order to be an effective attorney. The reality of the situation is that there probably are a ton of rude lawyers who represent despicable people, however not all lawyers are like that. As a future lawyer, overcoming ethical battles to represent clients while maintaining the legal code of conduct will be a major part of my everyday life.

By: Jasmine Shafquat

"ABA Model Rules Of Profesional Conduct." American Bar Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

"Gender Issues and Cultural Relativism." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

What are Law Firms Looking for?

By: Katie Nagy

      For current college students, finding a job after graduation is a daunting task. It is often said by many people that there are just not enough jobs out there for everyone that is looking. Law is a competitive field, so I am investigating what skills and traits law firms are looking for in potential job candidates. While researching desired characteristics of job candidates, motivation came up a lot. Recruiters want to see someone who is dedicated to a career in law, and they want to see that reflected in you history, for example, internships at law firms and pro bono law assistance. 

     Another characteristic important in lawyers looking for a job is the ability to communicate well. Lawyers need to communicate well and be able to get your point across in the courtroom, but most importantly with their client. Lawyers need to understand their clients and know how to interact with them in a way their client would appreciate. A skill that is necessary for all lawyers to possess is the ability to work in a team and the ability to lead a team. Potential lawyers have to play nicely with others in order to get a position at a firm (“What Skills Do Law Firms Look For” para. 4).

      One trait I was surprised to see that a former lawyer recruiter looked for in his interviews was a sense of humor. The recruiter said it was important for a potential hire to have a sense of humor that helped them relate to people, whether they are clients or co-workers in the office. In my opinion, one of the most important traits I read about while investigating this topic is the trait of being different. Someone interviewing hundreds of candidates has no way of remembering every person they interviewed, so someone needs to stand out in order to get the job (Shepherd para. 2). 

     Admittedly, grades are still important when looking at whom to hire into a firm. Grades show if potential job candidates are willing to work hard, and being in the top 20% of your class is a great indicator of your ability in law. While grades do have some impact on how someone views your resume, another quality has recently become very favorable to law firms. Hirers like to see business experience in candidates’ resumes; it shows their dedication and work ethic to the firm. The people that are conducting interviews also like to meet with people that have overcame obstacles and ended up favorably due to their perseverance, for example, a single mother that put herself through law school (Mondics para. 5). Different firms are looking for different traits in their employees, so what I mostly learned from this investigation is the importance of being a well-rounded student, and  also a well-rounded person.

Sources:

Digital image. Cornellcurrent. N.p., 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.

Mondics, Chris. "Law Firms Are Looking for More than Good Grades

from New Hires." Philly-archives. N.p., 08 Nov. 2010. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

Shepherd, Jay. "Small Firms, Big Lawyers: 10 Traits That Will Get You Hired."

Above the Law. N.p., 25 May 2011. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

"What Skills Do Law Firms Look for When Recruiting Graduates for

Trainee Solicitor Jobs?" TARGETjobs. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

What Can We Do with an Economics Degree?

       

       Maybe some people don’t know what the advantage of getting a degree in Economics is. Let me explain it! Economics is the subject that we need to think logically and analytically. Mostly people who major in Economics are good at analyzing and problem solving. Besides, they have good communication skills in order to gain trust from people. Other than that, economists also have good computer skills since they need to manipulate data and keep it by using computer technology. 

       Economists are usually good at writing and reporting skills because they need to summarize economic problems that they see or read especially in the news. Most politicians and businesses need help from economists to boil down their findings into presentations. They also have the ability to recognize economic trends and patterns which is useful in order to maintain the stability of economy in our own countries. Economics graduate can find a placement in a variety of fields, such as:

• Investment
• Banking and finance
• Manufacturing
• Political consulting
• Government
• Nonprofit organizations

       Nowadays, a lot of job opportunity are open for those who have degree in Economics because employers need workers who can research and analyze data or trends especially in financial organizations and companies who run businesses."According to 2014 data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), local, state and federal government agencies employed 45 percent of all practicing economists in 2006" (Economists). Governments need economists to settle all the economic crisis that will harm their own countries. Without economists, there would be a lot of trouble since they are the important people who contribute a lot in development of the countries.

       Starting salaries for economics graduates also higher than other bachelor’s graduates. It is because economics major is considered as a professional major. Lastly, I think that we will have a lot of advantages if we earn degree in economics as mentioned above. I hope this information will help you understand more about the things that we can pursue after earning an economics degree. 

Thank you.

By : Syarah Alya

"Economists," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, January 8, 2014.

So You Think You Can Be a Lawyer

If you have ever drove down a highway then chances are you have witnessed the creative advertising's of a lawyer. My job today is to learn about the journey a person takes that results in them marketing their good looks and legal services to drivers who should definitely be paying more attention to the road. Although everyone’s path to becoming a lawyer varies slightly, there are specific requirements that must be completed. I dedicated my research to discovering Michigan’s stipulations because if I decide to go to law school it will most likely be here in my home state. 

The first step to becoming a lawyer begins with obtaining a bachelor's degree ("How to Become a Lawyer"). I found it interesting that you can major in anything you would like as long as you get your degree from an accredited college. Technically you could take most of your course work on fashion or music, but it would benefit you to take classes that would actually prepare you for analytic thinking and writing. During or after the completion of your undergraduate degree you are going to need to take the Law School Admissions Test, also known as the LSAT. The LSAT measures the supposed skills necessary to becoming an effective lawyer ("About the LSAT"). Your success on this test as well as your undergraduate grades and activities will determine what law school you can potentially get into. Obviously, getting into Harvard is going to be a lot more competitive than a smaller local college. Once you have been accepted into law school, you need to prepare yourself for three intense years of learning. Obtaining an internship or work study will likely be built into this three year schedule in order to receive your JD or LLM Degree. 

Once you have your degree you are not finished yet, but do not fret because you are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel. Last but certainly not least, you must pass the bar exam for the state that you want to practice law in. After you have effectively completed these tasks, pat yourself on the back because you have shown that you are capable of becoming a lawyer. Now, feel free to post some selfies on a billboard and brand your name because in my opinion, you earned it.

By: Jasmine Shafquat

"Steps to Become a Lawyer/Attorney in Michigan." How to Become a Lawyer in Michigan. LawyerEdu, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

"The LSAT." About the LSAT. LawSchoolAdmissionsCouncil, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

Prompt #1: Asking Questions and Breaking Assumptions

By: Katie Nagy

           

      When I think about being a lawyer, the first thing that pops to my mind is Law and Order. I don’t believe that a crime show is an accurate portrayal of lawyers, so I am going to investigate what being a lawyer is all about, and try to see if I can break any of my preconceptions. To start, these are my preconceived ideas about being a lawyer:

1. Law is mainly about memorizing
2. Lawyers make a lot of money
3.  Lawyers need to be creative in order to win cases
4. After law school, someone is ready to practice law
5. Lawyers can read their clients
6. Lawyers dislike being incorrect on a topic

      Now that I have my list together, it is time to put my assumptions to the test. I started my research by reading through Thinking Like a Lawyer: a New Introduction to Legal Reasoning by Frederick Schauer, and I quickly realized how difficult it is to read through a book completely about the legal reasoning of lawyers. There was no available “Intro to Law” textbook that breaks down the logistics of being a lawyer, so I had to get creative and ended up with the book by Schauer. I had to wade through paragraphs of confusing lawyer lingo just to find something related to my list about lawyers. To start, I was wrong about law being mainly about memorizing. I pictured lawyers memorizing laws and then using those laws to either defend or prosecute people, but Schauer writes about the trait legal reasoning, that only lawyers seem to have. According to Schauer, legal reasoning is “mastery of an array of talents in argument and decision making” (Schauer 1). Frederick Schauer also seems to think that law school teaches the building blocks of law, but legal reasoning is something you gain through legal arguments (Schauer 2). 
                                                                    
                                       

     I assumed that law students were ready to go out into the world and practice law as soon as they received their law degree and passed their testing, but it seems that law is something you keep learning as you go on in your life. Truthfully, the textbook was not very helpful as a resource, except for changing my perception of the way lawyers think. I assumed lawyers were smart, but I did not realize the critical thinking and the different way of thinking that helps them succeed in their professions. Schauer claims that lawyers think differently than non-lawyers, but has trouble pin pointing what is actually different between the two groups (Schauer 2). This resource was not at all basic, but it did assist me in opening my mind as to what traits lawyers had that made them so good at what their profession. Legal reasoning is not something you are born with, or gain by chance as you grow up, it is taught and practiced to law students. 

Law Students. Digital image. Lewis Wagner. Lewis Wagner Law Firm, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

      Schauer, Frederick F. Thinking like a Lawyer: A New Introduction to Legal

              Reasoning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2009. Print.