Can a Corporate lawyer work as a Trial lawyer?

by **rolfe16** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:57 pm

I am still going through my undergraduate studies, but I am investigating the career of law. So I was interested in knowing if a business lawyer or corporate lawyer work as a trial lawyer as well?

by **vruyk** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:58 pm

Yes, they can. But probably wouldn't due to time restraints.

The reality is the economy, which has dramatically changed. Choosing a career is one of life's most important and difficult decisions. But knowing what your expectations are, and then comparing them to the realities will help you make educated decisions.

Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast!! This no longer is a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING, crumbling, and dying vocational field. Many, many reasons: We now have computers. So, many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet and legal books. Also, there are a lot of companies out there making very efficient legal software for the field of Law. Today's graduating lawyers tend to be very computer savvy, so they just do the work themselves to save themselves the cost of overhead - they aren't hiring legal staff. Also, the "Public" buys this legal software/law books in order to get legal work done without the expense of an Attorney. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals - we just have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc) For example: Sites like legalzoom.com have taken away work that many small-time attorneys/lawyers would do/used to do.

There are more attorneys than there are legal employment positions. We simply already have way too many Legal Professionals. AND the legal profession is dramatically changing: it is in absolute CRISIS! Job searching in this vocational field has changed >>DRAMATICALLY<< in the last five years. And, every year, more and more people graduate from law school, but there are fewer and fewer jobs. Even the largest and most reputable law firms are experiencing unprecedented cutbacks. I don't expect the situation to improve in the coming years.....Even Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 20 years) says there are too many lawyers. (9/14/2008)
http://abovethelaw.com/2010/01/this-week-in-layoffs-01-23-10

(This is based on my current knowledge, information, belief, and life experiences. This was intended as personal opinion, and not intended to be used as legal advice. Please be careful and do your research.<<< You DID ask the question here on Y/A. I am just trying to help you.)

by **byron92** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 5:09 pm

I think WRG missed your question. The degree is the same, JD, and the bar exam is the same, but as a corporate attorney you would NOT be a trial attorney. Regardless, don't go to law school right now. Terrible, terrible job market. I personally know people I graduated about a year ago, from a good law school, that have passed the bar and are working at restaurants. There is no area within the legal field that has a good job market right now.

by **montgomery69** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 5:10 pm

A lawyer is a lawyer. The degree is the same for a corporate lawyer or a criminal lawyer.

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