Why 2021 Is A Great Time To Restart Your Career In The Legal Field

Seeking a career change is always a difficult, stressful decision. After you have finally gotten used to working in your own field, you will need to learn a new skillset and possibly even return to school. As stressful as it might be, there could not be a better time to restart your career in the legal field.

Even though the job market is in a sharp decline, there are many new opportunities available online that can help make it easier to jumpstart a career in the legal field. To even begin your career in the legal field though, you will need to take the LSAT and work your way through law school before you become a Bar-certified lawyer.

How to become a lawyer

Becoming a lawyer is a lengthy process that can require a lot of schooling — but it can also be extremely rewarding. To become a lawyer, you must complete a relevant undergraduate degree program before taking the LSAT and entering law school.

The LSAT is a test given to aspiring lawyers to determine if they have the skills to succeed in the first year of law school. It is broken into five different sections and covers a wide range of material. Test-takers will be evaluated on writing, logical reasoning (2 sections), and analytical reasoning, and will have to complete an unscored, experimental section.

Earning a high score on the LSAT should be one of your top priorities when you are looking into a career in the legal field. A high score can help you earn scholarships and entry into some of the finest law schools. To earn a high score, you should take an online LSAT prep course which can help you prepare for the test with practice questions and other study material.

After completing the LSAT and attending graduate school, you will need to pass the Bar exam before you can become a practicing lawyer. Once you have done this — usually within a year of graduation — you are well on your way to starting a successful career in the legal field.

You can do it all online

Because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, much of our work and business is conducted online. Without the need to go to class in-person or have face-to-face interviews or meetings, it will be much easier to make the switch to the legal field. The best part is that you can even keep your job to help cover your expenses while working on getting your degree and starting to transition to a career in the legal field.

Networking also becomes much easier at home since you will not have the prying eyes of a manager over your shoulder to keep you on-task. Since you can manage your own schedule while working from home, you will not have to sneak out or find time outside of the office to connect with a fellow professional in your field. Finding the right people can help you secure high-profile jobs later on once you have graduated from law school.

You can save time and money on graduate school

Traditionally, graduate school was a massive expense and could take years to complete. Now that so many classes and programs are offered online, it is faster and cheaper than ever to take classes to earn a degree or certification that can help you restart your career in the legal field. Many schools offer online programs that can fast-track your progress and help you earn advanced degrees very quickly.

Since you will be spending less time in graduate school, that also means you will be spending a lot less money on earning your degree. Since you will not need to pay as much for things like physical textbooks, transportation or housing, graduate school will be much more cost-effective, maximizing the return on your investment in your education.

You have more flexibility

Since so many of us are out of the office and stuck at home, we have much more flexibility in terms of how we can manage our time to prepare for and adapt to a career change. Since working from home allows us to manage our schedules and practically work whenever we want, it will be much easier to find the time to take an LSAT prep course or apply to your dream law school.

This flexibility will also be helpful in dealing with the job you currently have while making the transition to the legal field. Instead of rushing out of the office at the last second to make an interview or a meeting or lying to get out of work early for the day, you will be able to find a job on your own time, at your own pace.

Increase your earning potential

Let’s face it, some extra cash in your pocket is always a nice incentive to change careers. In fact, lawyers in 2021 can expect to earn well over $100,000, with the world’s top attorneys making more than $1 million every year.

While the exact amount of money you earn can change depending on a few different factors, if you want to earn big, your best bet is to work with a large private firm instead of taking a job in the public sector. You can also specialize in different types of law to drastically increase your earning potential once you have already become a lawyer.

You can do what makes you happy

Since we are all working from home with more free time than we know what to do with, why not take the time to switch to a career that makes you happy? If you have always dreamt of a career in the legal field, now is the perfect time to go to law school and start your career.

Conclusion

Even though the middle of a pandemic might feel like the worst time to switch careers, there could not be a better time because of all of the new online opportunities that make changing your career much easier. Since you will likely be doing all of your work from home, you have a lot of freedom to enroll in classes or take certification courses that can help you make the transition to a brand-new career field.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes