i like to be payed better

I think these people have been overexposed to some of the most hateful people in the world, repeat unremorseful criminals, who they have to defend in order to pay their bills...

In terms of job satisfaction, this tends to rank pretty low, according to most surveys. For the reasons, read Genghis and SZinHonshu's articulate reviews below.

That being said, most of the lawyers I know have a pretty good sense of humor and are reasonably entertaining while off the job.

dont ever work for one they are assholes, trust me!!

i think they should be a little groucy ,they put up with the ridiculous issues of others. we all live by the same laws, we should not have to call an attorney for frivilous things. attoneys are what make the world go round, but one day you will need them. may be for a divorce, a will, a large settlement. this may not be your cup a tea so move on to a diffrent career if you cant hang. attorneys can cost you money but they save your life/lively hood.

I'd rather flip burgers than pursue a career in law.

I have stayed away from law school for this reason. America has too many lawyers, and it seems like a field that has a lot of losers. I would rather find something else better to do than this job. I hear the employment opportunities and the pay aren't as great as people make it seem either.

I have had to hire attorneys only for family law. Two of the three were in my opinion, frustrated with my case because there was not enough money in it. It was very clear that they wanted to give no time to me for questions or concerns, they had a plan on how to handle the "crappy little 800.00 guy" and that is how they would handle it. The other (my divorce) was handled with what seemed to be real interest and concern. A lot of advice was given and even compassion seemed to be there. The lawyer had been referred by a friend of my parents and was a woman. All of you who are familiar with me will be surprized to hear that if I ever I ever had to hire a family lawyer again, it will be a woman. They just seem to be a better choice in that instance.

I hope some of them ARE miserable. They tend to distribute it well enough.

I know many lawyers who just leave the profession. It is a hard row to hoe. The costs of doing business today are outlandish. Public expectation is high because of unrealistic entertainment shows. Clients are grasping and demanding all out of proportion to realistic expectations. The legislative branch shirks its authority to solve societal problems and shrugs it off to the courts. Lawyers are on the front line of societal change and bear the brunt of public resentment. Let's see now, what branch of goverment has moved in the following areas to the greatest degree? 1. Abortion rights 2. Homosexual rights 3. Environment 4. Same sex marriage 5. Pornography 6. Feminism 7. Separation of church and state. etc., etc., etc.

There's an enormous amount of professional dissatisfaction among attorneys. I remember reading somewhere that it ranks in the top 10 in terms of dissatisfaction. I've known a lot of people who just burned out and did something else. Being a lawyer is a real pressure cooker because ... well, for lots of reasons. Here are some (not all): A. By the time clients get to you they are already unhappy. No one obtains the services of a lawyer until they think they have a problem they can't resolve themselves. Each day, regardless of your field of endeavor (probate, personal injury, divorces, criminal ... take your pick), you are voluntarily submerging yourself into a situation of disharmony and tension. B. Long hours. Bottom line - if you want something done right make sure you do it yourself. Also, you are competing against other bright and motivated people (opposing counsel). Often times, your degree of preparation (which needs to be extensive) is the only thing that separates you from winning or losing. C. You are commonly dealing with aggressive, confrontational, egotistical and predatorial persons (opposing counsel). It's not a taffy pull and you need to be prepared for collisions/impact/crashes every day. D. Clients do not think (because they haven't been trained to do so) like attorneys. You are attempting to analyze and address and they are often working through emotions and expressing their feelings. And these are the people with whom you have to work and have ultimate say as to the direction of the case. There is a lot good to be said about the profession and the perks/abilities that come with, but it's not for everybody. Divorce and substance abuse rates are sky high among lawyers in the U.S.