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Searching for a law job is easier than deciding on which law company will suit one the best. It is a very difficult decision but one that will affect not only your legal career but your entire life. Additionally, your professional career will have an effect on your personal life. Thus deciding the right law firm is not easy and great care has to be taken while taking this decision. Take time to think of all the factors that matter regarding your decision; and every factor should be well researched so that you have a better understanding of your requirements and how these factors provide you with a better job opportunity. A. Harrison Barnes, the owner of LegalAuthority.com discusses the many factors that should be well judged before deciding on what law job offer you are to accept. The first thing that you need to see is that the kind of law firm offer you have in hand. This is very important to know because the environment in every law firm is different. There are many types of law firms – large law firms and small law firms, public law firms and private law firms, high powered law firms and laid back law firms. Of the offers in hand, it is difficult to understand the environment the law firm will have as two attorneys working with the same employer will both provide differing views. Thus you have to see what kind of firm you are looking forward to, says A. Harrison Barnes. If you are thinking about a high powered law firm, then you should be ready for a long working hours and short vacations. You have to work for around 60 – 70 hours per week and will have almost 2 – 3 weeks of vacations in the whole year. These kinds of law firms are very demanding where working hours are concerned, says A. Harrison Barnes from experience. Legal employers are very professional and prefer that there employees are the same. But it is different with a laid back law firm, says A. Harrison Barnes. In these kinds of firms, you are asked to work for only 40 – 50 hours per week. And they also provide 3- 4 weeks of vacation every year. So you have to decide on which kind of legal employer are you ready to work with. Before taking the decision, you have to see which firms you are interested in: Are you ready to work long billable hours or want some time for your personal life too. Many attorneys even take the decision on the basis of the salary that they are being paid for their hard work. They make this their first priority to decide on the legal employer they will work with, says A. Harrison Barnes. An attorney working in a large firm will earn more than the attorney working in a small law firm. Thus many lawyers who work only for money prefer these large law firms to the small law firm. There are even lawyers who prefer to work with legal employers whose reputation is great in the legal market. They think about the long term goals and thus believe working with such a reputed law firm will take their attorney career to great heights. For these lawyers, the prestige of the firm is their main concern and not money. These attorneys know that such a law firm will provide them with advancement in their legal careers. They will lead a life that they have always wished for. Even if they are getting less pay from a reputed firm, they will choose to work with that law firm keeping an eye on future benefits, speaks A. Harrison Barnes from experience. Further, attorneys often opt for CLE or training in other courses to get into their choice of firm. They can choose from different vocational courses - both in technical and educational levels just to bring their legal careers on the right track. There are many institutes that offer these vocational courses to interested lawyers. These courses help you gain more knowledge and sharpen your skills and abilities and will ultimately enhance your legal career. One such course is professional skill course. It covers the area of client care, professional standards, advocacy, communication skills, and also business and financial skills. Based on the above-mentioned reasons, it is suggested that you be honest about your requirements and look for attorney jobs that can fulfill your specific needs. To each his own; so one man’s poison may be another’s nectar!
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