Job description: Lawyer

 Job description: Lawyer
Defending people and companies involved in a lawsuit is the lawyer's main mission. To resolve conflicts upstream and avoid lawsuits, he also plays the role of advisor to individuals or companies. This profession attracts many candidates but remains difficult to access. Exercising a liberal profession, the lawyer operates in a highly competitive sector and has every interest in specializing: tax law, commercial law, community law, etc.

Professional life
Several career choices
The lawyer is a liberal professional. He exercises individually or as an association. He can also be a freelance associate of a lawyer or a law firm (a dominant mode of practice). Salaried employment is a very small minority in the profession.
Recommended Specialization
Operating in a highly competitive sector, the lawyer has every interest in specializing: business, tax, social, community law (linked to Europe), law linked to new technologies (Internet, ICT: information technology and of communication...) or to the environment...
Unequal income
Even if the profession is doing rather well, remuneration varies greatly depending on the activity, reputation and location of the firm. There is nothing comparable between the very high earnings of an experienced business lawyer working in a large Parisian firm and the modest incomes of most beginners...
Beginner's salary
The first year, 2700 euros gross per month for the liberal employee, 2,000 euros gross per month for the employee lawyer outside bars of Paris and Ile-de-France (2175 euros for the Parisian employee lawyer).
Working conditions
Different activity modes
Exercising a liberal profession, the lawyer is his own boss. But its activities differ depending on the type of office (size, specialization ...) and its place of exercise. The daily life of a lawyer working in a large Parisian business firm has nothing to do with that of a general lawyer. The first works on very specialized cases and does not plead (or rarely) in court. The second deals with all kinds of cases: divorces, commercial disputes, traffic offenses ... It can be a civilist or penalist.
Pleading in court
The highlight of a lawyer's professional life is undoubtedly the pleading (speech given at the hearing) in court. He must be particularly convincing, arguing as effectively as possible without being impressed by the opposing party. This requires public speaking skills and strong powers of persuasion.
Files and appointments at the office
In addition to pleading, the daily work of a lawyer takes place in his office. There he studies the files entrusted to him and the procedures, checks case law, receives clients, etc.
SKILLS
Rigor and motivation
Rigorous, the lawyer is ready to work hard without counting his hours: essential to succeed. It must also be very organized to juggle another file from one file and to respect the procedures and the judicial calendar (dates of hearings).
Writing fluency
This personal investment goes hand in hand with excellent writing skills and mastery of legal texts, regulations and case law. For this, the lawyer is continuingly aware of legal news.
Discretion and charisma
Bound to professional secrecy, the lawyer is the confidant of all the difficulties (judicial but also economic, etc.) of his clients. A charismatic character, he is also distinguished by his talents as an orator and his strong power of persuasion, especially when he pleads in court. Balanced, reactive, he knows how to manage tensions, especially at the time of the hearing. He must be able to adapt to any situation and question himself every day.
Nature of the work
Defense of people and companies
Auxiliary of justice, the lawyer represents and defends before a court individuals or companies engaged in a trial. He follows civil cases (accidents, divorces, etc.) or criminal cases (theft, crimes, etc.). As part of criminal proceedings, he is present during police custody.
Advice and negotiation
At the request of clients faced with the complexity of the laws, the lawyer can draft specific documents (employment contracts, company statutes, etc.). The creation of the "act of lawyer" (resulting from the law of modernization of regulated judicial and legal professions) allows it to countersign certain acts under private seing (recognition of debt, housing or commercial, shareholders pact , etc.). Resolving a dispute by avoiding a trial is also part of the lawyer's missions. It is up to him to negotiate, in order to find a solution favorable to the interests of his client. Mandated by several parts,