Milford chronicle., 1932-04-01
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VOCATIONAL
STUDIES
The Law

Law is one of the professions
which has attracted a great deal OF
attention because its most success
full members are among the promi-
nent men in any community A very
large proportion of those who have
attained high places in the political
life of the nation are lawyers. In
fact, this close connection between
law and politics is probably one of
the chief reasons of the appeal of
that occupation.
In short sketch such as this, we
cannot. of course, discuss in detail
the opportunities offered by the le-
gal profession, but we may be able
to offer a few facts that may prove
helpful.
First of all. as most of You are
undoubtedly aware, the law is a
greatly OvercrOwded profession.
About 10000 men and women are
being graduated each year from the
law schools of the country. Many
more are entering the legal profess
sion from other channels. AS a re-
suit. the supply exceeds the de-
mands. The dean of a great law
school said not long ago that about
a third of those who begin the prac-
tice of law fail to make living at
it because they cannot meet the
competition in an OvercrOwded
field.
On the other hand, the rewards to
those who succeed are rather high.
The Institute for Research, in Chi
cago, which has probably made more
complete Investigations of occupa-
tiOnal opportunities than has any
other organization, makes this COM
ment relative to the income which
a lawyer may expect to receive. 1t
should be noticed that this list in
cluded only the practicing lawyers;
for a large proportion of those ad-
mitted to the bar fail to secure cli-
ents and are Obliged TO do some
thing else for a living:
Since no statistics derived from
any reliable source have ever been
compiled, il is difficult to state with
any degree of accuracy the average
earning of the average practicing at
tOrney. Such earnings have been es-
timated, however, to range as fol-
lows: 5000 a year during the first
year of practice; $1100 during the
second; $1,000 during the third
$210O during the fourth; $2500 dur
ing the fifth; $4,000 during the sixth;
S380O during the seventh; $4,000 dur
ing the eighth; $4,000 during the
ninth; and $500 after the tenth
year of practice. 1t should be borne
in mind that these are only average
figures and that many persons re-
ceive an income much less than the
amounts above indicated and many,
much more.
It is the difficulty which the as
pirant to success in his profession
encounters during the first few
years that has caused these years to
be knOwn--in law, medicine, even
in teaching-as the starvation per-
iod."
The work of the lawyer covers Il |
wide range. One may specialize in
criminal law and may receive large |
fees if he is eminently successful, i
even though this is not the best paid |
branch of legal work. Perhaps the |
greatest number of cases coming be-
fore lawyers have to do with suits !
for damages because of injuries |
which have been sustained to per-
sons or property. Many lawyers spe-
cialiZe in real estate work, eXamin-
ing titles and protecting various
rights of property owners. A luera-
tive field is that of a corporation
lawyer, who may work for fees or
who may receive salary from
corporation. Other lawyers engage
in work on tax problems or on pa
tents. OF course many lawyers, most
of them indeed, have general prac-
tices which take them into all these
fields.
Since the profession is Overcrowd-
ed and since for the most part only
those who are best prepared sue
ceed in it, students should choose
this work with care. No student
whose scholarship rank places him
in the lower half of his class should
think of becoming a lawyer. If any
student who reads this advice finds
his grades low and is nevertheless
to become a lawyer, it
would be well for him to inquire
to see why his grades in
Elass are low. Perhaps it is through
some carelessness or inattention in
class and by severe application he
will be able to raise his marks; in
that case he may still hope to sue
ceed in law. But if, after all his eff
forts, he still finds himself unable
to rise into the upper half of his
class in scholarship, he should
choose an occupation which requires
ess sustained study and intellec-