Some of these activities include community legal aid services, human rights committees or working on the school law journal or review. Third-year students may continue fieldwork in which they participate in practice trials and projects, and begin preparation for state bar exams. Approximately 40,000 people are licensed and admitted to state bar associations each year. Lawyers may also work for a corporation, a nonprofit organization or for a government agency at the local, state, national, or international level. Some lawyers become judges responsible for overseeing the legal process in courts of law.
New lawyers joining law firms generally begin as associates.
A first year corporate associate will be expected to proof and track client documents. A junior litigation associate will spend a great deal of time doing research, fact-checking, and communicating data to partners and clients. A seventh year corporate associate may draft documents and oversee detailed transactions. A senior litigation associate may draft briefs, request documents, and receive depositions. After approximately seven to nine years, they are reviewed in a very competitive process for promotion to partner.