A lawyer is someone who is licensed to practice law, and who is obliged to uphold the law along with protecting the rights of their client. Lawyers are parts of various legal systems. A lawyer gives legal advice to people, government agencies, and businesses and represents them when needed. A lawyer prepares legal documents such as wills, deeds and contracts and interprets laws, regulations, and rulings.
Being a lawyer improves your social status in society because it is a profession which gives you power and respect at the same time. And above all you will be able to provide assistance to the people.
How to become a lawyer
There are various steps and procedures through which you must go through to become a lawyer in Pakistan:
- Choose this career only if you have an interest in law and legal affairs because it takes a lot of hard work to become one. Figure out your passion for this career before pursuing a law degree. It is recommended to consult a counsellor or an expert to determine if you possess the skills and aptitude to pursue it
- After you have decided what you want to pursue, doing some background research on the field should be considered before entering it such as: what are best and quality law colleges in Pakistan, their course and fee structure and the market for lawyers
- After this process list down the best law colleges in the country and apply to at least 5 of them as it is not necessary for you would get admission to all of them. Once you pass the test and are selected, choose the college based on your preference.
- To become a lawyer, initially, you need to complete your LLB degree. This could happen in two ways, the Eligibility criteria is:
LLB 3 years external program: FA, Fsc, Icom, A level, Bachelor, Master, or equivalent minimum 2nd division.
LLB honours: FA, Fsc, Icom minimum 2nd division.
Options after completing LLB:
To further improve your worth in the field, practising and internships with the court and bar council are mandatory. You could also go for LLM after it or you could go for Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) to become a barrister.
As law is a vast and diverse field, specialization in any of the sub-fields of law would provide greater opportunity and career growth For instance, they may choose to specialize in a certain area of law such as criminal law, family law, prosecution, tax, or environmental law. Lawyers mostly work indoors and in office buildings, however, some travel may be required when meeting with clients or attending court hearings.
Career choices for LLB:
After attaining a law degree, you can avail various career options based on your interest and preference such as Judicial Magistrate, Legal Adviser, Court Reporter, Advocate General, Research Associate (Law) and positions in many government organizations and Investigation Agencies Like Anti Corruption, NAB, CIA etc.
In addition to working as a lawyer, there are other professions that those who train as a lawyer often go into, including:
- Professor or teaching
- Politics
- Legal Journalism
- Public Interest Advocacy
- Management Consulting
Skills and qualities you should have or develop to become a lawyer
Written and verbal communication skills: You should have the ability to communicate orally or in writing and should be able to communicate in stressful situations.
Judgement: The ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions from limited information is essential as a lawyer.
Analytical skills: Both the study and practice of law involve absorbing large quantities of information, and then having to distil it into something manageable and logical. You must have evaluative skills to choose the most suitable conclusion when having more than one reasonable precedent applicable to resolving a situation.
Be Rational: One should be rational and have the time management ability, and one should be keenly observant to focus on details and extract important points from cases.
Determination and stamina: Should have the stamina to be persistent and determined to prepare cases and deal with lengthy law procedures.
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