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5.5 Employment Opportunities Related to Law

General Overview of Law-Related Employment

Each chapter of this book offers students insight into the employment opportunities related to the topics addressed within the respective chapters. The following is a brief overview of job opportunities in the legal profession. The specific jobs explored for Chapter 5 are: (a) lawyers, (b) limited license legal technicians (LLLT), and (c) paralegals. Each state sets its own educational, licensing, and practice requirements for each of these career fields. Students are encouraged to go online to review the specific requirements for the state or states in which they might be interested in obtaining employment.

Requirements for and Duties of Lawyers, LLLTs, and Paralegals

Lawyers

Generally, those interested in becoming a licensed attorney must obtain a four-year undergraduate degree; apply, be admitted to, and graduate from law school; and take and pass a comprehensive state bar examination for each state where they intend to practice law. Oregon became the first state to eliminate the bar exam requirement, while California and Utah are also considering an alternative (Kaur, 2023). On March 15, 2024, Washington joined Oregon in dropping the bar requirement (Rosciglione, 2024). Below are several links with information offering insight into the processes and protocols for becoming a lawyer. The information is grouped into three broad questions or topics:

  1. Is law school right for me?
  2. How do I do well on the LSAT?
  3. How do I do well in law school?

For a glimpse into the various aspects of student life at a major law school, see the University of Washington’s Law Student Life, where you will find information about UW Law School student resources and the following specific topics: diversity, LGBTQIA resources, student ambassadors, student organizations, UW Law and the military, and Wellness.

Limited Liability Legal Technicians

The position of LLLT is a relatively new career field. While an LLLT does not practice law at the same level as a fully licensed attorney, LLLTs work at a professional level higher than a paralegal (Speck, 2017). In 2012, Washington became the first state to implement an LLLT program; unfortunately, in 2020, Washington became the first state to cancel its LLLT program (Rigley, 2020). For a discussion of Washington’s decision to cancel its LLLT program, see Washington, State That Pioneered Licensed Legal Technicians, Cancels The Program. Several states still maintain their LLLT programs. However, the trend seems to be taking a wait and see approach when it comes to whether LLLT programs will be expanded or canceled (Byers, 2018–2019).

Here are links to articles that explain what an LLLT does, the educational and practical requirements necessary to become an LLLT, and the licensing and reporting requirements of the position.

Paralegals

The specific duties of a paralegal can vary tremendously depending on the type of law being practiced (civil, criminal, corporate), the nature of the employment (solo practice, law firm, government), and the particular legal interests of the individual. Specific duties include preparing legal documents, conducting interviews, assisting with legal proceedings, and engaging in various office and administrative work (Parker, 2023).

Here are links to articles that explain what a paralegal does, the educational and other requirements to become a paralegal, the licensing and reporting requirements of the position, and the general range for salaries for paralegals.

Ethical Dilemas in Criminal Justice

How “fit” is “fit enough” when it comes to obtaining and maintaining employment in the legal profession? Said another way, how ethical does an applicant have to be to achieve a personal history background sufficiently suitable to obtain employment in the legal career field?

The individual state bar associations are empowered by the supreme court of their respective states with the responsibility and authority to license attorneys, limited liability legal technicians, and paralegals. Each state bar association sets its own requirements for obtaining a license for these positions, and each association determines the limitations on becoming licensed. For each state, there exists a fitness board or committee whose job is to investigate applicants’ background to determine their suitability to serve as a licensed professional. Much like a background investigation for other jobs in the criminal justice system (police officer, corrections officer, probation officer, parole officer), these fitness investigations are comprehensive. While the fitness board or committee recommendations are not binding—the state supreme court makes the final decision—their recommendations carry considerable weight. In addition to making fitness for employment recommendations to the state supreme court, the state bar association also investigates and makes recommendations relating to professional misconduct and ethical violations of lawyers (Florida Supreme Court, 2024), prosecutors (Operle, 2023), and even judges (Trevas, 2023).

Exercise: After reviewing the fitness standards and the evaluation process (see link below), do you feel “fit” for obtaining employment in the legal career field?

Fitness standards that must be met, Washington State Court Rules

License

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Introduction to Criminal Justice Copyright © by Wesley B. Maier, PhD; Kadence C. Maier; William M. "Bill" Overby, MCJ; and Terry D. Edwards is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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