The legal profession is a rewarding and fulfilling career path that offers many opportunities for personal and professional growth. However, in recent years, there has been a decline in the number of students pursuing a career in law. For a variety of reasons, young fresh talent isn’t coming into law, but there are steps that institutions, corporates and other stakeholders can help funnel more of the best and brightest into the industry.
Show Multiple Career Paths
The legal profession is quite an expansive one, and having the training and knowledge of a lawyer opens so many doors, especially in today’s world. There are many niches in this field that need fresh talent to help solve the pressing issues people face.
For example, lawyers who work in the public interest sector can help to protect the rights of individuals and communities who may not have access to legal representation. Lawyers who work in corporate law can help businesses to grow and succeed. Here are other examples.
Personal Injury: A lot of consumers find themselves in confusing legal situations they have no clue how to navigate. For example, if someone was to get hurt in an accident with a government-owned vehicle, how do they go about getting compensation and their medical bills paid? According to The Barnes Firm New York, “many people are financially undone by someone else’s negligence. We need more people in this profession to help normal people get the protection they deserve.”
Working as an attorney in the cyber crime niche: as more people share their lives online and earn money online, the risks increase. From bloggers whose websites get stolen by impostors to influencers who have their IP infringed upon, you can use your abilities to help these people protect their online empires.
Online legal commentator: Another way lawyers can use their talents is to provide value online. If you go on YouTube, you’ll see that many lawyers have taken their knowledge to the online space, sharing valuable information and helping the layman understand the legalities behind some of the big news stories. Starting a YouTube channel can be an amazing and lucrative career path for someone who has the talent for speech and debate to bring their charisma and unique perspectives to billions of viewers.
Some people think the only paths available to a law graduate is criminal justice or criminal defense, but there are so many ways a lawyer can serve and make a difference. Lawyers actually have the opportunity to work on a wide range of interesting and challenging cases, and they also have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their clients and their communities. By showcasing the variety of career paths and the potential for personal and professional growth, the legal industry can attract more of the best and brightest.
Remove the Financial Barrier of Entry
One of the main reasons for a decline in people pursuing a legal career is the perception that law school is expensive and the job market is saturated. The reality is that there are many ways to make law school more affordable.
One way to make law school more affordable is for students to take advantage of scholarships and financial aid. Many law schools offer scholarships to students based on their academic achievements, financial need, and other factors. In addition, there are also many organizations that offer scholarships to law students. Law firms can also contribute to these kinds of opportunities. If more of them were to set up their own scholarships, they would help ease the financial concerns and also create the lawyers and leaders of the future.
Speak Their Language
On both the education side and the corporate and stakeholder side, there are ways to reach out to future lawyers early on and increase enrollment. It’s no secret that today’s future students spend more time online than their past counterparts. If law schools are still marketing to these people using methods from years ago, they just won’t connect with them. Leaning into social media and influencer marketing will mean that young people get to see what the legal profession is about in a way that makes sense to them.
The legal industry can attract fresh talent by focusing on diversity and inclusion, highlighting the opportunities and rewards of a career in law, making law school more affordable and accessible, and addressing the concerns and challenges faced by young people. By taking these steps, the legal industry can attract more young people to the profession and ensure that it has the talent it needs to thrive in the future.