If you pass the bar, that’s an accomplishment. Many people study for years and still fail. Once you get past this obstacle, though, you may feel like you have virtually limitless job options.
You might get into personal injury law and represent car crash victims. Some lawyers make a respectable living through those cases alone. Phoenix saw about 11,000 car wrecks with injuries in 2021, and many other major cities see similar numbers.
You might get into entertainment law, business law, or environmental law. Whatever area interests you should get your attention, since you want a niche that keeps you engaged.
In this article, we will talk about the personal injury legal niche in particular. It attracts many of the brightest legal minds. If you understand why, you might decide to join them by going in that direction.
There Is Steady Work
For starters, if you get into personal injury, you will probably have steady work. That is because people sue each other all the time.
You might have someone who sues another individual or a company. They may bring a premises liability lawsuit against a building’s management if they slipped and fell while walking around in there. You may have someone sue a company because they injured this person with a defective product.
You might represent someone if a loose dog bit them and they tracked down the owner. Maybe you will represent a driver after someone who drank ten beers left a bar and plowed into them.
You can probably think of many more situations where someone might sue a person or business entity. If you start your own law firm or join an existing one, and you handle personal injury cases, you are not likely to ever go broke. You should have steady work, provided you are good at your job. That is one reason why many intelligent, promising lawyers get into this area of the law.
You Can Sometimes Argue in Front of a Judge and Jury
You may also get the chance to argue in front of a judge and jury if you get into personal injury law. If that happens, you may relish the opportunity.
You might get into your best suit and make sure your hair or makeup looks perfect. You may realize that if you can convince a jury that the defendant harmed your client, they will get some money, and so will you.
It’s at these moments that you can shine. You can use the law and your knowledge of it to talk circles around the defendant’s lawyer, and the defendant as well, if they take the stand. You can also make sure your client seems sympathetic on the witness stand through the questions you ask them.
In short, you can showcase your talents. You get to show off, and some lawyers love that.
You Can Become a Local Celebrity
If you get to the point where you’re winning a lot of personal injury cases, then you might also start getting recognized around town. If you live in a smaller community, that’s even more likely.
Some people like the idea of becoming local celebrities. Maybe you will start to make some commercials that people will watch on local TV stations.
You might have some billboards with your face on them around town. Maybe you will have some ads on bus stop benches as well.
If so, you might reach the point where you can’t walk down the street without someone yelling out the words to your radio spot or TV commercial. Not everyone likes that, but if you don’t mind the fame, it could put a big smile on your face.
You Might Feel Like You’re Fighting the Good Fight
Some lawyers don’t mind representing accused criminals. Others jump at the chance to represent the defendant in a civil case.
You can certainly do those things. However, maybe you’re the sort of person who feels like you want to fight the good fight.
If you have a client who says that a product harmed them, perhaps permanently, then you might want to go after the company that made that product. You may feel like you have this talent, and you want to use it to balance the scales of justice.
If so, then you may feel that arguing on behalf of injured or sick individuals makes the most sense. If you can draw a clear line between their injury or illness and an action by a person or company, you may feel like it’s your solemn duty to do that.
You Can Be There for People When They Need a Helping Hand
If you’re a bright, up-and-coming lawyer, you may also feel like you need to get into the personal injury legal niche because people need your help. Sometimes, you might have a client who’s going up against a gigantic company. This entity might have a whole stable of high-priced lawyers on their side.
Maybe without your help, you know your client can’t win at trial. They don’t have the skills or resources to try to force a settlement offer, either.
If so, then you can be their superhero. You know that if you get a settlement offer or a jury’s verdict in their favor that you will get some money out of the deal, but maybe it’s not about that for you.
Instead, you may feel like you’re there for this person when they need someone the most. When they thank you for what you did with tears in their eyes, only then might you feel that you’re truly fulfilling your purpose.
It’s true that not every lawyer will want to get into personal injury, and not all of those who do will want to represent the plaintiff. It’s easy to see why so many bright young minds get into this niche, though, and why so many want to be on the side of the sick or injured.