Jobtree Logo small
Menu
SIGN UP|SIGN IN

Attorney Job Description

Next

Overview

attorney
148
The number of occurrences in our database.
Use your resume to evaluate your fit with this role

The Attorney is a lawyer who defends their client in court and assists them in legal matters. Their role is to provide legal advise to clients, explain legal issues, and defend a client's rights in front of a judge or jury. Their responsibilities are to prepare pleadings and other documents, research and find pieces of evidence, draft, review and maintain wills, trusts, estates, contracts and deeds, and develop case strategies.

See available jobs and Set Job Alerts

Steps to take to start your career as an Attorney and other jobs like it

  • Obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. You choose to major in pre-law or political science but you can pursue any undergraduate major as long as you complete the prerequisite coursework required by law schools.
  • Prepare and complete the standardized tests required by most law schools (LSAT and in some cases the GRE) as a high score on this test can help open more school options for you. Prepare the other required documents that include undergraduate course transcripts and usually written statements, recommendations and often interviews with each school.
  • Seek opportunities to gain practical experience through internships, externships, or clerkships during law school, while pursuing your undergraduate degree or even before that. Practical experience can provide valuable insights into the legal profession and help you develop essential skills such as legal research, writing, and advocacy. There are roles that match with almost any experience level in the legal field so if you have a passion for this career, start early as familiarity with the professional environment in this space will help.
  • Graduate from an accredited law school to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Law school typically takes three years to complete and covers a wide range of legal topics, including contracts, torts, constitutional law, and legal writing.
  • After graduating from law school, you'll need to pass the bar exam in the jurisdiction where you intend to practice law. The bar exam assesses your knowledge of legal principles, procedures, and ethics. California is widely considered to have the hardest exam. Additionally, some states require applicants to pass a separate ethics exam or the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).
Hear from someone who’s had the job or one like it
"There are many areas of law you can specialize in. This attorney had a love of film and TV and made a legal career out of it. Learn ways to get into Entertainment Law with or without a law degree."
Career Video Transcript
Examples of Current Open Attorney Positions
Click to search for more
Use comma to separate
indeedImg
Avg Pay: $86K
Jobs: 44,100
glassdoor
Avg Pay: $141K
Jobs: 11,956

Education you need to become an Attorney

These are the most common degrees or certificates earned by Jobtrees users prior to becoming an Attorney

There may be other required degrees or certifications needed for this job. The below info shows you the most commonly desired education level from employers when hiring for this job.

  • Doctoral degree in Juris Doctor
    The number of occurrences matches with Attorney in our database.
    Avg. Duration:21 monthsAvg. Fees:$34,630Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in History
    The number of occurrences matches with Attorney in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$32,316Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Political Science
    The number of occurrences matches with Attorney in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$31,495Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
    The number of occurrences matches with Attorney in our database.
    Avg. Duration:17 monthsAvg. Fees:$27,469Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Psychology
    The number of occurrences matches with Attorney in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$31,580Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
Data powered by Studyportals
Find trainings related to Attorney

Annual Pay Estimate for Attorney and Other Important Info

See how many years Attorney's are in their job, how much they make, how long it took to get there and how available this job is in terms of open positions.

6.0 years
$114K
The average years of experience in the workforce prior to having this role
3.56 years
Mixed
The average number of roles it took our users to get to this one
3
736 out of 4016

Connect and Share

See below anyone you’ve connected with on Jobtrees that have had this role in their career.
Networking with people already in the role or industry is a great way to land a job and to figure out if this is a job you want
Invite your friends and colleagues to Jobtrees to discover connections and learn insights on roles that interest you
Share your experienceInvite your friends
Haven’t signed up or shared your experience/resume with us yet? Its free to sign up and if you already have a current or old resume, both can be done in minutes.

Career Paths for Attorney

Find data driven insights on the path to get to this role and where it can lead

Jobs to start your career in becoming an Attorney

These are the most common roles Jobtrees users had to start their career that eventually lead them to Attorney. If you’re looking to get into this career these are jobs to consider to get your start. We’ve included below some current open job postings that match those roles. Click to search for more.