The profession of law has a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. If you use TV as your source of information, you probably believe that the career is cutthroat, intense and puts you in serious danger of being murdered by a villainous serial killer.

The reality is pretty different. First of all, most lawyers will tell you that what happens in the court room is the least important and the least prominent part of the job. Many lawyers will never step into a courtroom during their career. Even those that do go to court spend countless hours preparing and reviewing the cases they present. Second, you do not need to be an astoundingly good debater to be a good lawyer. In fact, according to Justin Zarnowski, a business lawyer who recently graduated from the U of M, the most important skill a lawyer can possess is organization.
Although lawyers spend a great deal of time outside the courtroom, it can still be helpful for students to see a lawyer in action. Most court proceedings are open to the public, so interested students can simply go down to the courts and watch a proceeding. Information about court locations and rules for attending court can be found on the Manitoba Courts website.

Being a lawyer is not a nine-to-five job. While the schedule is flexible, lawyers often have to spend a great deal of time in the evenings and weekends working on a case. There is also pressure to succeed, especially for graduates working at medium and large sized firms. However, if you can handle the first few years, many lawyers move on to smaller, less competitive firms, or start their own practices. There is also the opportunity to work in government.
There are a number of areas of specialization for lawyers. Family law, real estate, criminal law, wills and estates, corporate law and advocacy are only a few of the areas that a lawyer can specialize in. Students should not only consider whether law is right for them, but what area would best suit their skills and their personality.