LALawyer
LA
Career

Lawyer

By the numbers
Typical pay
$159,670 / yr
Education to start
Doctoral or professional degree
Future demand
+4.1% by 2034
People in this job
755K
Figures shown for ·1 O*NET occupation
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
08:00
Case triage

Scan overnight emails, flag urgent deadlines, reprioritize the day's docket.

08:30
Research block

Dig through case law and statutes to shore up a shaky legal argument.

10:00
Client intake

New client explains their situation — listen hard for what they're not saying.

11:00
Document drafting

Write a motion from scratch; every clause is a decision, not a formality.

13:00
Negotiation call

Opposing counsel wants to settle — weigh the offer against going to court.

14:30
Evidence review

Comb through hundreds of emails and records hunting for the one that matters.

16:30
Client update

Translate the day's legal developments into plain, honest terms for the client.

17:30
Billing & deadlines

Log billable hours and check every upcoming court date is locked in.

Things you do
  • Argue your client's case in front of a judge or jury.
  • Meet with clients to understand their problem and map out options.
  • Negotiate deals or settlements with the other side's lawyer.
  • Draft contracts, motions, and legal documents from scratch.
  • Dig through case law and statutes to build a legal argument.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is my client telling me the whole truth, or holding something back?
  • Should I push for a settlement now, or take this to court?
  • Does my client understand what they're agreeing to, or do I need to slow down?
  • Is this clause in the contract a real risk, or am I overthinking it?
  • Should I tell my client what they want to hear, or what they need to hear?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Lawyers · 98% related
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