Customer Reviews

The Official Guide to Legal Specialties

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book contains some useful information about various practice areas. However, it also leaves out highly pertinent information.

I am an ex-litigation attorney who left litigation because it was too confrontational. There is not a word in the litigation section of this book about the necessity of confrontation in this practice area. Instead the book talks about how litigation allows lawyers to develop "relationships" with clients.

In general this book discusses the positives of each practice area without discussing the negatives. But the negatives can be highly relevant and very helpful when deciding what area of law is not for you. By reading this book you get the idea that you could enjoy numerous practice areas when this may not in fact be the case. Use the book for the information it does contain, but do so cautiuosly, keeping in mind that you need to dig further to find out the full truth about a practice area in which you are interested.

As a lawyer and legal recruiter I know how important it is for attorneys to find the right practice area. This book provides the most comprehensive and current information available today about what it's like to practice law and how practice areas differ. Not only does the book provide factual information about the different specialties, it also provides firsthand accounts of the daily lives of practitioners. I strongly recommend this book to current law students, anyone contemplating a career in law and any lawyer considering a practice area change.

I work in the career services field and have found this book very helpful in counselling law students. Most law students come into law school with a vague notion of what they want to do, but no sense of what it really means to practice a particular kind of law. Ms. Abrams book gives them a real-world account of what lawyers in each specialty do all day and what they can expect out of their careers. I'd highly recommend this to anyone considering a legal career or anyone helping those who are.

As a law school career counselor, I can attest that one of the top challenges students face is determining what they want to do with their law degree and how to get what they want. This book goes a long way in helping to solve that riddle. I recommend it to every law student with whom I work. Each one who has followed my advice has praised the recomendation. My Admissions Office will not give me my personal copy back because they find it so useful.

This book lays out many of the typical and not-so-typical practice areas lawyers may enter, explaining what to expect, how to prepare for these jobs, and what employers are looking for. Law students will still need to do some self-analysis on what they are looking for, but this book will help immensely in sorting out areas that may work for them. It is especially helpful in that it may point them to areas they may not have thought of. I have seen many students gravitate towards areas because they are easy to understand or grasp onto. This book helps them open their eyes to many other areas.

For anyone who needs an edge over competition during recruiting season, here is your ticket. Abrams' books is well-organized, comprehensive and illuminating. If you read it, you will learn the most basic lingo of the various legal practice areas. You will also be able to identify the specialities that suit your personality (for instance litigation and corporate are very different). You'll enter the interview process more self-aware and be aware of what's out there; as a result you'll be able to effectively market yourself to particular firms. If you don't read the Official Guide and don't know anything about the different practices of law yet, how do you know you are not making a mistake pursuing the practice of law? Read it, then apply for those jobs.

The book is a decent reference, but not nearly as comprehensive as I had hoped. Let me down a couple of times when I was looking for information about a particular specialty.

If you are a student, don't buy it. Check to see if your library, law library, or career services office has a copy and borrow it from them. There is little need for you to buy a copy of your own.

In her new book, "The Official Guide to Legal Specialties," Lisa Abrams does a great job of breaking down more than 30 areas of law (from Tax Law to Legislative Practice to Entertainment Law). This is an invaluable tool when you enter into those 2L job interviews. This book has everything from a detailed explanation of each area to what law classes to take to bolster your background. Not only will it keep you from embarrasing yourself in an interview with claims like, "I've just always wanted to do litigation" and then not knowing a single answer to the follow-up questions, but it could save you from wasting your time in a area of law that you are ill-suited for. Well worth the price.

Think you know what law practice areas are all about? Think again! This resource is a comprehensive guide for students and counselors to discover what practitioners relate about their day-to-day activities, what law school courses are most beneficial in preparation, the satisfaction attorneys find in their work and much more! I encourage anyone who is seeking some guidance in finding the right niche to read "The Official Guide to Legal Specialties." You'll be so glad you did!

Great book!! It is "on point" and very realistic. It does a great job of combining real world skills with the practice areas. Highly recommend this book to new law school students, graduates or prospective students.

This book is a good place to start, it gives a good overview for someone just exploring the different legal specialties out there.
I doesn't have as much detail as I would have liked, but I still think its a good place to start for anyone considering law school.