Job Searches, Law Schools, Technology

What Do Lawyers Actually Do?

Generations of lawyers were inspired by TV and movies, but law-related entertainment does not quite demonstrate the realities or diversity of law practice.

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Question markLast year, Law School Transparency began producing a podcast to help pre-law and current students better understand what the practice and business of law is like — the good and the bad, the exciting and the mundane, and everything in between.

Our team of hosts conducts informational interviews with new and seasoned lawyers to highlight various practices areas and settings. To date, we have profiled 31 lawyers and have over 50,000 downloads of I Am The Law.

Generations of lawyers were inspired by TV and movies. From L.A. Law and Legally Blonde, to Law & Order and The Good Wife, entertainment does not quite demonstrate the realities or diversity of law practice. Law-related entertainment can skew expectations and cause people to misjudge what career path best meets their personal and professional ambitions. Depression, substance abuse, and general career dissatisfaction frequently follow, not to mention lower quality service for clients.

None of this is revolutionary. Telling students to “talk to lawyers” is obvious advice. However, this obvious advice presents three glaring problems.

  • They may not know many or any lawyers.
  • Even if they know lawyers, they may not ask questions that produce useful information.
  • They can only conduct so many informational interviews.

These problems are compounded for some members of racial/ethnic minorities and first-generation college students, who frequently lack sound information about legal careers as well as the confidence to pursue those careers. Students from more advantaged backgrounds face a different problem: They often view law as a monolithic profession of “Biglaw” attorneys reaping high salaries.

Luckily, technology is changing the game.

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The availability of free and on-demand podcasts provides access to many more lawyers than an individual can interview on their own. Our hosts ask questions that provoke thoughtful, revealing answers that go beyond the surface responses we may expect a typical college student to receive. Without more nuanced information about the wide variety of law-related careers, these students can make uninformed choices about attending law school or using their legal degrees in the workplace.

After a year of production, we are well on our way towards creating a lasting archive of information about legal professionals. I remain excited about how this series increases public awareness of the many roles that lawyers play, helps students explore legal careers, and makes the profession more accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

To view all episodes, visit our website or find us on your favorite podcast app.

Kyle McEntee is the executive director of Law School Transparency, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to make entry to the legal profession more transparent, affordable, and fair. LST publishes the LST Reports and produces I Am The Law, a podcast about law jobs. You can follow him on Twitter @kpmcentee and @LSTupdates.

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