Areas Of Law

[Damien]

I had several questions

1) I was wondering what areas of law would suit a lawyer who enjoys doing research but wants to spend very little time in court? Also, is it possible to work in criminal law without spending alot of time in court?

2) I have a BA in Biology and am considering IP law. I would like to know how competetive the job market is for IP lawyers is. Do you have any advice for someone considering that area of law?

3) I live in the NYC/Long Island area and would like to know which law schools are nationally recognized throughout the country as being good.

4) Would getting experience as a paralegal be the best way to explore my interest in law and enhance my application?

[Granwen]

Denise,

1.   Specializing in one of the many areas of corporate law(mergers and acquisitions, finance or securities law, to name a few) may keep you out of the courtroom but may put you in the boardroom.  Appellate practice is an area that tends to be research and writing intensive although you may be required to argue cases in front of appellate courts.  I have had little experience with criminal law, but I believe that it would be difficult to avoid the courtroom as a criminal lawyer.

2.   Intellectual Property law is one of the fastest growing fields in the legal profession.  According to The National Law Journal, IP is one of the most highly compensated legal specialties. The IP field is competitive(in part due to the high pay) but there are plenty of job opportunities.  Generally, the most sought after IP practitioners possess an undergraduate degree in science or engineering.  Therefore, your biology degree may prove valuable if you pursue IP as a legal specialty.  Other than majoring in a science or engineering field, I would suggest maintaining an A average in your undergraduate major(and certainly no less than a B average) in order to gain acceptance to the better law schools.

3.   Columbia University and New York University are two nationally recognized law schools in the New York area.   To obtain more comprehensive information on law schools and their national rankings, you can purchase The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools from Law School Admission Services at www.lsas.org.  The two following websites also provide law school ranking information:  U.S. News & World Report's Top 50 Law Schools athttp://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php   and  Index to Law School Rankings at www.ilrg.com/rankings.html.

I hope this information is helpful.  

Sally