Lawyer - Backbones of The Legal System

Lawyers form the backbone of the legal system and hold positions of great responsibility. Lawyers are also called attorneys and act as both advocates and advisors in our society. As advocates in criminal and civil trials, they represent one of the parties by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support the client. As advisors, lawyers inform their clients about their legal rights and suggest ways of action in both professional and personal matters. The nature of a lawyer's job depends upon his or her area of specialization. They must be able to think quickly and speak with ease and confidence. At the same time they must be familiar with courtroom rules and strategy. They spend most of their time in researching, interviewing clients and witnesses and collecting other details required for the trial.

Bankruptcy, probate, international and elder law are some of the areas in which a lawyer specializes. The lawyer who specializes in environmental law represents interest groups, waste disposal companies and construction firms. They help the clients to prepare licenses and file applications for approval. Most lawyers are in private practice and carries out criminal and civil trials. In criminal cases the lawyer represents the clients who have been charged with crimes. They argue their cases in the law court to bring justice to them. Civil lawyers assist clients with litigation, wills, trusts, contracts, mortgages, titles and leases.

A single client may employ a lawyer for full time. When the lawyer is employed by a corporation, the lawyer is known as "house counsel". The lawyer then advices the company concerning legal issues related to business activities. They may involve patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, property interests and collective bargaining agreements with unions. A number of attorneys are employed at different levels of government. For criminal justice system, the attorney general, prosecutors and public defenders play significant roles.

The lawyers perform most of their work in offices, law libraries and courtrooms. Software is used to search legal literature automatically and to identify legal texts useful for a specific case. They use electronic filing, videoconferencing and voice-recognition technology to discuss a case with all the parties involved in it. The responsibilities of a lawyer while on a case are oral arguments in the court, research and drafting of the court papers, practice before administrative courts, client intake and counseling, legal advice on all the legal matters, protecting intellectual property, negotiating and drafting contracts, carrying out the intent of the deceases and prosecution of criminal suspects.

At the university level, law is taught by a faculty of law. The law students pursue a Bachelor of Laws degree. Law is often taught at law schools that awards the Juris Doctor degree. Law students in many countries have to pass a bar examination before receiving a license to practice.