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What Do Lawyers Do?

What Do Lawyers Do?. Office of Career Services 1L Tuesday September 4, 2012. Legal Practice Settings. Private Practice – Law Firms Public Interest Organizations Businesses Government Judiciary - Judicial Clerkship Academia Alternative to Practice of Law. Private Practice Attorneys.

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What Do Lawyers Do?

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  1. What Do Lawyers Do? Office of Career Services 1L Tuesday September 4, 2012

  2. Legal Practice Settings • Private Practice – Law Firms • Public Interest Organizations • Businesses • Government • Judiciary - Judicial Clerkship • Academia • Alternative to Practice of Law

  3. Private Practice Attorneys • Phillip H. CorboyCorboy & Demetrio • Dan K. WebbPartner, Winston & Strawn • Aaron GoldsteinAttorney for Rod Blagojevich • Josh SavianoPaul Pfeiffer, The Wonder Years • Joel BrodskyAttorney for Drew Peterson • Jose BaezAttorney for Casey Anthony

  4. Private Practice - Law Firms • Destination of choice for most law grads • Work for a variety of clients (individuals/businesses) • Most join as associates • Partnership after 8-10 years. • Partners generally have an ownership interest in the law firm and manage the law firm. • All shapes and sizes (large to solo) • Life influenced by billable hours/billable rate • Some lawyers specialize in one or more practice areas while others engage in general practice

  5. Specializations or Practice Areas • Administrative • Civil Litigation • Constitutional • Corporate • Criminal • Environmental • Family • Immigration • Intellectual Property • Labor & Employment • Real Estate • Securities • Tax

  6. Public Interest Attorneys • Barack Obama • Sargent ShriverPeace Corps, Job Corps, Head Start • Ralph NaderConsumer Advocate & Lawyer • Morris DeesSouthern Poverty Law Center • Mahatma Ghandi

  7. Public Interest • Many in legal aid organizations – private non-profit agencies designed to serve disadvantaged people • Medical benefits for AIDS patients, represent the poor in landlord-tenant disagreements, negotiate child visitation rights for individuals who cannot afford a private attorney.

  8. Government Attorneys • Lisa MadiganIllinois Attorney General • Eric HolderU.S. Attorney General • Pat Quinn • Anita AlvarezCook County State’s Attorney • Tom DartCook County Sheriff • Fidel CastroFormer Cuban President

  9. Government • Local, county, state and federal government • Prosecutors (District or State’s Attorneys) • Federal Prosecutors • Department of Justice in DC • U.S. Attorneys Offices throughout US • State Attorneys General (Lisa Madigan) • Public Defender and Federal Defender • Government Agencies (fed, state, county, city) • Legislative Bodies and United States Congress

  10. Federal Government Organizational Chart

  11. State of Illinois Organizational Chart

  12. Cook County Organizational Chart

  13. The Judiciary • Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgUnited States Supreme Court • Justice Robert R. ThomasFormerChief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court • The Hon. Virginia KendallU.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois • The Hon. Thomas More DonnellyCircuit Court of Cook County

  14. Judicial Clerkships • Work for county, state and federal judges • Research the law presented to the judge • Draft memos and opinions for judges • Often short-term after you graduate for one or two years • Some are permanent clerk positions which allow longer-term employment • See judicial clerk 2011 employment data

  15. Business Attorneys • Savannah GuthrieTODAY on NBC • Andy LansingPresident & CEO, Levy Restaurants • Andrew BerlinCEO, Berlin Packaging • Jackie Taylor HolstenSr. VP, Holsten Real Estate Development • Jerry Springer • Mark SmitheGeneral Counsel, Walter E. Smithe Furniture • Michael ChoGlobal Head, Anti Money Laundering Compliance, Northern Trust

  16. Business • Employed by a single client, usually a corporation as an “in-house” attorney. • Advise on legal activities related to the company’s business • Supervise litigation being handled by an outside law firm • Employment issues or lobbyist monitoring and influencing legislation • Many are offered these positions while working for a law firm

  17. Attorneys in Academia • Prof. Charles Murdock • Taught at DePaul, Notre Dame, UC Hastings, and Loyola • Consultant to the SEC • Deputy Attorney General of Illinois • Prof. Richard Michael • Appellate Division, Illinois Attorney General • General Counsel, Loyola University • Law Clerk to former Illinois Supreme Court Justice, Daniel Ward

  18. Academia • Teach in law schools, colleges and other educational organizations • Work in administrative capacities at universities and colleges

  19. Alternative to Practice • Henri Matisse • Ben Stein • John Grisham • Geraldo Rivera • Michelle Obama • Andrea Bocelli • Laura Caldwell • Tony LaRussa

  20. Alternative to Practice of Law • Many lawyers today are choosing to not practice law after they graduate from law school. • They work in jobs as diverse as: • Program administrator, career counselor, admissions professional, • journalist, mediator, executive director of non-profit, • fundraiser, alumni relations, mediator, legal publisher, • law firm marketing professional, consultant, • trust administrator, financial planner, tax consultant,

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