Agricultural Careers Agricultural Lawyer March 2006 By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Catrina Kennedy Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education

Job Duties & Responsibilities  Advocate and advise  Review a law, determine the goal, and apply that law to the current circumstances  Fill out paperwork and conduct research  Help clients make wills, buy property, sign contracts, or settle an estate  Manage a client’s estate and give advice on legal actions  Carry out the terms of a client’s will

Qualities and Skills  Be able to think and reason logically  Good, clear communicator  Be loyal and have integrity  Responsible  Have a sense of humor when dealing with difficult people  Patience

Salary In 2002, the median annual earnings of all lawyers was $90,290 The middle half earned between $61,060 and $136,810 The lowest 10% earned less than $44,490; at least 10% earned more than $145,600

Work Environment  Most work is done in offices or law libraries  May travel long distances to attend meetings or gather evidence  Work at least 40 hours a week and many times more than that  Typically the surroundings are clean and comfortable

Education  The required college and law school education usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school.  4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school  Law school applicants must have a bachelor’s degree, an above-average academic record and a high score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to qualify for admission.

Career Resources  American Bar Association 321 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois Internet:  American Agricultural Law Association P.O. Box 2025 Eugene, OR Phone: Fax: Internet:  National Lawyers Guild, National Office 143 Madison Ave, 4th Fl. New York NY Phone: Fax: Internet:  National Lawyers Association E. 40 Highway, Suite 207 Independence, Missouri Phone: Fax: Internet: