careers

I work in the career services field and have found this book very helpful in counselling law students. Most law students come into law school with a vague notion of what they want to do, but no sense of what it really means to practice a particular kind of law. Ms. Abrams book gives them a real-world account of what lawyers in each specialty do all day and what they can expect out of their careers. I'd highly recommend this to anyone considering a legal career or anyone helping those who are.

For anyone who needs an edge over competition during recruiting season, here is your ticket. Abrams' books is well-organized, comprehensive and illuminating. If you read it, you will learn the most basic lingo of the various legal practice areas. You will also be able to identify the specialities that suit your personality (for instance litigation and corporate are very different). You'll enter the interview process more self-aware and be aware of what's out there; as a result you'll be able to effectively market yourself to particular firms. If you don't read the Official Guide and don't know anything about the different practices of law yet, how do you know you are not making a mistake pursuing the practice of law? Read it, then apply for those jobs.

This book contains some useful information about various practice areas. However, it also leaves out highly pertinent information.

I am an ex-litigation attorney who left litigation because it was too confrontational. There is not a word in the litigation section of this book about the necessity of confrontation in this practice area. Instead the book talks about how litigation allows lawyers to develop "relationships" with clients.

In general this book discusses the positives of each practice area without discussing the negatives. But the negatives can be highly relevant and very helpful when deciding what area of law is not for you. By reading this book you get the idea that you could enjoy numerous practice areas when this may not in fact be the case. Use the book for the information it does contain, but do so cautiuosly, keeping in mind that you need to dig further to find out the full truth about a practice area in which you are interested.