Hopefully, the small pool of Hispanic lawyers and legal profes- sionals will grow in the future. Back in 1990, Hispanics received only 4 percent of the law degrees being granted throughout the United States. But in 2004, the figure was up to 7 percent. And at some California law schools, the numbers are even higher: Boalt Hall at UC Berkeley estimates that about 10 percent of its student body is Hispanic. The only good news is that there will be many great opportunities for Hispanics who pursue careers in the legal profession. If you are qualified, employers will likely be competing to have you become a part of their “dream team.” There are many different jobs associated with protecting our
rights and serving justice. In order to operate smoothly, the legal profession needs various professionals to keep the system moving, including lawyers, judges, paralegals, court reporters, court inter- preters, legal secretaries, law clerks, administrators and support staff. These jobs are open to people with diverse backgrounds and various levels of education. If you are interested in the law, you can find an interesting career even if you don’t want to commit 7 years to become a lawyer. Work in the legal profession can be tremendously challenging and fulfilling. You are often directly involved in making a difference, affecting people’s lives and you may even be fortunate enough to be involved in important cases or in setting legal precedents. It can be financially quite lucrative as well. Recent estimates from the US Dept of Labor report the median annual wage of lawyers at $106,120. Of course, many lawyers earn much more than that, depending on their specialty and the firm that they work for. Paralegals and legal assistants can make about half of that with only an associates or bachelor’s degree and/or certification and training. Court reporters and court interpreters can also earn a sizeable income, depending on how much they want to work (Also see our article in this issue on Court Interpreters).
LAWYERS
Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advi- sors in our society. As advocates, they represent one of the parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support their client. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest particu- lar courses of action in business and personal matters. Lawyers research the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply the law to the specific circumstances faced by their clients. The more detailed aspects of a lawyer’s job depend upon his or her field of specialization and position. There is a wide array of dif- ferent areas to choose from; anything from being a trial lawyer to a tax lawyer, from a corporate lawyer to a public defender or to pub- lic interest law, or newer specialties such as environmental law, immigration law and intellectual property. Basically, there are two main divisions within law; civil and criminal. Civil law has several subdivisions including corporate law, communications law, entertainment law, labor law, divorce law, real estate law, and bankruptcy law to name a few. Criminal cases involve either misdemeanor or felony offenses. Some lawyers rarely work in a courtroom. Trial lawyers, who do, specialize in trial work, must be able to think quickly and speak with ease and authority. They must know courtroom rules and strat- egy. Still, trial lawyers actually spend the majority of their time out- side the courtroom, conducting research, interviewing clients and witnesses, and handling other details in preparation for a trial.
In criminal law, lawyers represent individuals who have been charged with crimes and argue their cases in courts of law. Attorneys dealing with civil law assist clients with litigation, wills, trusts, contracts, mortgages, titles, and leases. Other lawyers handle only public-interest cases—civil or criminal—concentrating on par- ticular causes and choosing cases that might have an impact on the way law is applied. Lawyers are sometimes employed full time by a single client. If the client is a corporation, the lawyer is known as “house counsel” and usually advises the company concerning legal issues related to its business activities. These issues might involve patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, property interests, or collective bargaining agreements with unions. A significant number of other attorneys are employed at the various levels of government. Government lawyers also help devel- op programs, draft and interpret laws and legislation, establish enforcement procedures, and argue civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government. Some work for State attorneys general, prosecutors, and public defenders in criminal courts. At the Federal level, attorneys investigate cases for the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies. Many other attorneys are employed in govern- ment at the local level.
Other lawyers work for legal aid societies—private, nonprofit organizations established to serve disadvantaged people. These lawyers generally handle civil, rather than criminal, cases. This area may not be as lucrative, but it always needs attorneys. This is anoth- er great way to gain experience and it can be very rewarding to be of service in this area.
Lawyers may also decide to ‘give back’ by teaching, joining the faculty of law schools. Some others may decide to approach the bench and become judges.
Education/Training Formal requirements to become a lawyer usually include a 4- year college degree, 3 years of law school, and passing a written bar examination. Federal courts and agencies set their own qualifica- tions for those practicing before or in them. Although there is no recommended “prelaw” undergraduate
major, prospective lawyers should develop proficiency in writing and speaking, reading, researching, analyzing, and thinking logically. Courses in English, foreign languages, public speaking, govern- ment, philosophy, history, economics, mathematics, and computer
S A L U D O S H I S P A N O S
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104