Primarily, a professional who graduates from a law school can choose to pursue a career in Public Law or Private Law. Both options offer several paths to follow, but today we will talk more specifically about Private Law and the possible career options for a lawyer.
If you're interested, also check out the article about practicing law or taking a public service exam: which is worthwhile?
A lawyer's career in Private Law.
If you choose to pursue a career in Private Law, you will certainly have a wide range of options and many ways to work: you can open your own office, work for another firm as an employee, or even work in the legal department of a large company.
Similarly, you can also act independently and establish yourself in the increasingly growing field of consulting for lawyers themselves.
Now, we will examine in detail the main career possibilities for a lawyer.
Civil right
Initially, it involves interpersonal relationships, legal matters, family, obligations, contracts, property, and the rights of third parties.
Without a doubt, it is the largest branch of law and the one to which people generally turn seeking compensation for moral damages, resolving disputes, breach of contract, inheritance, divorce, probate, and others.
According to Robert Half, the world's largest human resources company, a large law firm pays an average of R$13 to a seasoned lawyer.
business law
In summary, it complies with the laws that regulate the company's activities, such as relationships with partners, markets, competition, and contract drafting.
Today, this is undeniably an area with good job prospects.
Furthermore, Robert Half estimates that the income of experienced lawyers working full-time starts at around R$12.000,00.
criminal law
In summary, criminal defense professionals primarily defend clients accused of crimes.
According to data from the National Employment System (SINE), the average salary for criminal lawyers is R$ 6,2.
Labour anda Employment
Employment lawyers act as agents in litigation involving companies and employees, potentially representing both employer and employee in a variety of situations.
These include issues such as disputes over non-payment of overtime, vacation pay, or commissions, as well as compensation for moral harassment and other matters.
According to Robert Half, the average salary is R$ 8,5, but it can reach R$ 13 in a large firm.
Which area of law is currently in high demand for a lawyer's career?
The six areas in a lawyer's career that are currently in high demand are, above all: Digital Law, Advisory Labor Law, Electoral Law, Corporate Law, Compliance, and Institutional Relations.
Therefore, let's examine each one in detail.
Digital Law
This area has been on the rise for some time now. It therefore concerns the set of rules, applications, and regulations governing legal relationships that occur in the digital environment.
That is, an area that aims to ensure the interactions that take place in the online environment, curbing the practice of actions that may harm an individual or group, holding the perpetrator accountable for the damages.
This is an area with few laws and regulations, therefore, in addition to providing a range of opportunities for these professionals, it also requires a great deal of research on the part of the lawyers who work in it.
Labor Law Consulting
Since the Labor Reform was approved in 2017, this is an undeniably expanding field, especially for those working in consulting.
This is because many companies need (and surprisingly still need) to find qualified professionals to understand the changes and reorganize processes to comply with the current labor reform regulations.
Electoral Law
Unexpectedly, the new rules of the electoral system and the "Clean Slate Law" have caused this area to become highly demanded again, requiring updating and the involvement of qualified professionals.
business law
First and foremost, this field has always been in high demand, especially considering that all large companies have legal departments in addition to hiring dedicated law firms.
In recent years, with the rise of entrepreneurship and undeniably numerous start-ups, the demand for lawyers specializing in corporate law has increased even further, and this trend will continue to grow.
Compliance
Primarily after the "Anti-Corruption Law" and the phenomenon of "Operation Lava Jato," this topic has become a fundamental issue on the agenda of large and medium-sized companies.
Compliance lawyers are indeed essential to ensure that the company is acting in accordance with current regulations.
Institutional relations
Increasingly, law firms and companies have come to understand the importance of lawyers responsible for institutional relations, that is, the importance of paying attention to lawyers in the National Congress.
In this way, thanks to the close relationship these professionals have, they can monitor public policies, regulations, legislation, and political issues that directly affect the economy and the organization.
Therefore, this is undeniably a highly relevant strategic position.
How to have a successful career as a lawyer?
First of all, this is a question that can have more than one perspective. Therefore, we will present the opinion of two distinguished professionals to shed light on the topic of a successful lawyer's career.
Lawyer Marcelo Ferro, magnificently recognized as Lawyer of the Year 2020, told us in an interview about how to be a successful lawyer:
"Honestly, in our profession, I don't believe in isolated success."
Secondly, I believe that contentious advocacy demands a great deal of dedication from the professional, because it is not enough to refute the opponent's argument, but to convince the judge, since contentious advocacy is the art of persuasion.
Persuading someone requires technique, skill, and, above all, keen observation to understand which of the various arguments might convince that particular judge, whether they are more conservative or more liberal.
Furthermore, having a right is useless if you can't prove it. And that proof isn't achieved through lengthy and tedious petitions, but through light, direct, and concise writing.
Furthermore, the president of the OAB/MT (Brazilian Bar Association of Mato Grosso), Leonardo Pio da Silva Campos, also spoke with us about the topic:
“I believe that dedication is essential. Full dedication. A professional must have two parameters: the foundation is study, constant updating, training, investment in knowledge. In addition, being an ethical professional (…) These are the main recipes for success.”
Certainly, training is indeed the greatest investment in the future career of a leading lawyer.
Therefore, undeniably, continue to improve your skills.
Also check out our blog and discover the free mini-courses and postgraduate/MBA courses offered by IDP Online.
