Choosing a profession to devote your whole adult life to is not easy. It’s not something that you can decide overnight; it needs to be driven by passion and not circumstance. If you hinge your career path on external factors such as money, then you can easily be unfulfilled with your work over time.
Deciding what you want to be is difficult, but not impossible. There are so many professions that you can choose from, and while they require different specifications, they are all more likely the same. For you to succeed in the field of your choosing, you will need to have internal motivation.
For instance, working in the industry of law and justice can easily be tiring or overwhelming if you only pursued it for the financial stability it can provide you. But if you have a passion for helping your community or the underprivileged with your work, then that can be your motivation to get you through the hard times.
To help you decide which career path to take, here are three legal professions that you can consider taking. Each profession stated below aims to help people who may or may not be on the right side of justice but need your help nonetheless. These career options offer help to clients in different ways and situations.
Bond Dealer
If you choose to become a bail agent, you will become a liaison for the court and the defendant you represent. Posting bail means that you are providing the necessary funding for the defendant to be released from state custody until their trial date.
Helping people get out of jail through posting bail isn’t limited to providing funding. As an agent, you’ll be taking care of all the details and provide information to your clients with compassionate service. Honing a good working relationship with your client is key to making sure that they appear in court.
This also means that you are responsible for your client’s appearance in court on their trial date. Otherwise, the bail amount will be forfeited and a warrant will be issued for the defendant’s arrest. This is where bounty hunters or bail enforcement officers can come in.
Your other duties as a bond dealer can include drafting contracts, posting bail for the defendant’s release, and collating legal documents for your clients. Some bond agents go as far as accompanying their clients from work or home so that they can assure their appearance on the court dates.
Pro Bono Lawyer
If you want to help the marginalized by giving them legal representation, you can become a pro bono lawyer. This career path may not give you financial stability because you’re working for free or for very minimal fees, but it can be gratifying to those who believe in equal rights and access to justice.
It is written in the American Bar Association Model Rule 6.1 that all lawyers should provide at least 50 hours of pro bono services to those in need per year. However, many kindhearted attorneys choose to devote their lives to fighting injustice by serving the public.
Becoming a pro bono lawyer can be something that you do on the side, or it can be your life’s purpose. You can be providing legal assistance to organizations who promote your advocacies or chosen social causes, or you can devote time to improving the legal system through lobbying.
You can also join various public interest organizations that provide low-cost or pro bono legal aid to different communities and individuals. These organizations can also provide their assistance to victims of domestic violence, children’s welfare, veterans, senior citizens, or those living in poverty.
Paralegal
If you choose to become a paralegal, then you can assist lawyers’ win their cases. Paralegals are a lawyer’s right-hand man. They take care of certain tasks such as drafting legal documents or pleadings, assisting clients, and doing legal research so that the attorney no longer has to.
In some instances, paralegals act like a lawyer’s secretary because they take care of the menial tasks. This is so the attorney can focus on more important tasks like representing the clients in court or giving legal advice when needed.
You can work as a paralegal in a law firm, the government, or anywhere under the supervision of a lawyer. You cannot give legal advice, but you can be working closely with clients in trial preparation in litigation practices despite not being a lawyer.
Depending on where you work, you may also be implored to work pro bono and provide your services to those in need. This law varies from state to state and from different firms and associations. Nonetheless, you can help the marginalized by offering your services to them for free or very minimal fees.
Working for others’ benefit isn’t always the most beneficial, but it can be fulfilling and rewarding to the right people. So before you decide to take these career paths, consider how your work can help your community and if you can cope with the requirements of the job.