职责

　　•律师，又称辩护律师(美)，在法律系统中既是辩护者，也是顾问。作为辩护者，他们在刑事或民事审判中代表一方，在法庭上提呈证据和辩词支持其当事人。作为顾问，律师对其客户关于合法权利和责任提出相关建议，并提议其在商业和个人事务中采取相应行动。

　　•律师对法律内容和司法判决进行研究，并根据其客户的具体情况运用法律。

　　•律师按不同的专业领域分为许多种，包括破产、知识产权、遗嘱、国际法或环境法等。

　　技能

　　•可熟练写作、阅读、研究、分析和进行逻辑思考，并可言谈自如、颇具威信。

　　•由于律师必须经常分析复杂的案件、处理独特新型的法律问题，坚忍不拔、有创造力和推理能力是很重要的。

　　•熟悉法庭规则和策略。

　　教育背景

　　•四年大学学历、三年法学院学历，并需要通过律师业笔试考试。

　　•毕业后，律师需要随时了解法律领域和其它对其行业有影响的领域的发展情况。当前，有39个州和辖区要求必须进行法学继续教育。

　　前景

　　•如果您有兴趣从事律师职业，您可能将面临一直持续到2008年的激烈竞争。法学院毕业生的数量将超过经济状况所能容纳的该职位的数量。

　　•对律师的持续需求将主要来自人口增长和商业活动的总体水平，以及在卫生保健、知识产权、国际法、环境法和性骚扰方面的法律诉讼的增长。

　　•就业率的增长将继续集中在付薪工作上，因为商业领域和各级政府雇佣的律师职员数目正越来越多，大型律师事务所中法律服务业的就业率也有所增长。

　　•自主创业的律师数量将增长缓慢，因为建立起一个能盈利并且能与地位稳固的大律师事务所相抗衡的新事务所是很困难的。

THE JOB

•Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors in the legal system. As advocates, they represent a party in a criminal or civil trial by presenting evidence and arguing to support their clients in court. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients concerning their legal rights and obligations, and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters.

•Attorneys research the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply the law to their clients' circumstances.

•Lawyers may specialize in a number of different areas, including bankruptcy, intellectual property, probate, international or environmental law.

SKILLS

•Proficiency in writing, speaking with ease and authority, reading, researching, analyzing and logical thinking.

•Perseverance, creativity and reasoning ability are also essential for lawyers, as they must often analyze complex cases and handle new and unique legal problems.

•Familiarity with courtroom rules and strategies.

EDUCATION

•A four-year college degree, three years in law school and successful completion of a written bar examination are required.

•After graduation, lawyers need to stay informed about legal and nonlegal developments affecting their practices. Currently, 39 States and jurisdictions mandate Continuing Legal Education.

OUTLOOK

•If you're interested in pursuing a career as a lawyer, you'll probably encounter stiff competition through 2008. The number of law school graduates is expected to surpass the economy's capacity to absorb them.

•The continuing demand for lawyers will mostly come from population growth and the general level of business activities, as well as an increase in legal actions in healthcare, intellectual property, international law, environmental law and sexual harassment.

•Employment growth will continue to be concentrated in salaried jobs as businesses and all levels of government employ a growing number of staff attorneys and employment in the legal services industry grows in larger law firms.

•The number of self-employed lawyers is expected to increase slowly, because establishing a profitable new practice to compete against larger, established law firms is difficult.