OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES1L TUESDAY

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

What Do Lawyers Do?

Legal Practice Settings

Private Practice – Law FirmsPublic Interest OrganizationsBusinessesGovernmentJudiciary - Judicial ClerkshipAcademiaAlternative to Practice of Law

Private Practice Attorneys

Phillip H. CorboyCorboy & Demetrio

Dan K. WebbPartner, Winston & Strawn

Aaron GoldsteinAttorney for Rod Blagojevich

Josh SavianoPaul Pfeiffer, The Wonder Years

Joel BrodskyAttorney for Drew Peterson

Jose BaezAttorney for Casey Anthony

Private Practice - Law Firms

Destination of choice for most law gradsWork for a variety of clients

(individuals/businesses)Most join as associatesPartnership after 8-10 years. Partners generally have an ownership interest

in the law firm and manage the law firm.All shapes and sizes (large to solo)Life influenced by billable hours/billable rate Some lawyers specialize in one or more practice

areas while others engage in general practice

Specializations or Practice Areas

Administrative Civil Litigation Constitutional Corporate Criminal Environmental Family Immigration Intellectual Property Labor & Employment Real Estate Securities Tax

Public Interest Attorneys

Barack ObamaSargent ShriverPeace Corps, Job Corps, Head StartRalph NaderConsumer Advocate & LawyerMorris DeesSouthern Poverty Law CenterMahatma Ghandi

Public Interest

Many in legal aid organizations – private non-profit agencies designed to serve disadvantaged people

Medical benefits for AIDS patients, represent the poor in landlord-tenant disagreements, negotiate child visitation rights for individuals who cannot afford a private attorney.

Government Attorneys

Lisa MadiganIllinois Attorney General

Eric HolderU.S. Attorney General

Pat Quinn Anita Alvarez

Cook County State’s Attorney Tom Dart

Cook County Sheriff Fidel Castro

Former Cuban President

Local, county, state and federal governmentProsecutors (District or State’s Attorneys)Federal Prosecutors

Department of Justice in DC U.S. Attorneys Offices throughout US

State Attorneys General (Lisa Madigan)Public Defender and Federal DefenderGovernment Agencies (fed, state, county, city)Legislative Bodies and United States Congress

Government

Federal Government Organizational Chart

State of Illinois Organizational Chart

Cook County Organizational Chart

The Judiciary

Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgUnited States Supreme Court

Justice Robert R. ThomasFormer Chief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court

The Hon. Virginia KendallU.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

The Hon. Thomas More DonnellyCircuit Court of Cook County

Judicial Clerkships

Work for county, state and federal judgesResearch the law presented to the judgeDraft memos and opinions for judgesOften short-term after you graduate for one

or two yearsSome are permanent clerk positions which

allow longer-term employmentSee judicial clerk 2011 employment data

Business Attorneys

Savannah GuthrieTODAY on NBC

Andy LansingPresident & CEO, Levy Restaurants

Andrew BerlinCEO, Berlin Packaging

Jackie Taylor HolstenSr. VP, Holsten Real Estate Development

Jerry Springer Mark Smithe

General Counsel, Walter E. Smithe Furniture

Michael ChoGlobal Head, Anti Money Laundering Compliance, Northern Trust

Business

Employed by a single client, usually a corporation as an “in-house” attorney.

Advise on legal activities related to the company’s business

Supervise litigation being handled by an outside law firm

Employment issues or lobbyist monitoring and influencing legislation

Many are offered these positions while working for a law firm

Attorneys in Academia

Prof. Charles Murdock Taught at DePaul, Notre Dame,

UC Hastings, and Loyola Consultant to the SEC Deputy Attorney General of Illinois

Prof. Richard Michael Appellate Division, Illinois Attorney

General General Counsel, Loyola University Law Clerk to former Illinois Supreme

Court Justice, Daniel Ward

Academia

Teach in law schools, colleges and other educational organizations

Work in administrative capacities at universities and colleges

Alternative to Practice

Henri Matisse Ben Stein John Grisham Geraldo Rivera Michelle Obama Andrea Bocelli Laura Caldwell Tony LaRussa

Alternative to Practice of Law

Many lawyers today are choosing to not practice law after they graduate from law school.

They work in jobs as diverse as: Program administrator, career counselor, admissions

professional, journalist, mediator, executive director of non-profit, fundraiser, alumni relations, mediator, legal publisher, law firm marketing professional, consultant, trust administrator, financial planner, tax consultant,