Lawyer

Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Attorney; Attorney at Law; Attorney General; Counsel; County Attorney; District Attorney; General Counsel; Lawyer; Prosecuting Attorney; Prosecutor

Tasks

• Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
• Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
• Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
• Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
• Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
• Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
• Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.
• Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
• Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
• Negotiate settlements of civil disputes.
• Supervise legal assistants.
• Negotiate contractual agreements.
• Confer with colleagues with specialties in appropriate areas of legal issue to establish and verify bases for legal proceedings.
• Search for and examine public and other legal records to write opinions or establish ownership.
• Perform administrative and management functions related to the practice of law.

Knowledge

• Law and Government
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service
• Administrative
• Computers and Electronics
• Communications and Media

Skills

• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Monitoring
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Speech Clarity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Problem Sensitivity
• Inductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering
• Fluency of Ideas
• Originality
• Category Flexibility
• Near Vision
• Speech Recognition
• Selective Attention
• Flexibility of Closure