OCCUPATION: ATTORNEY

Name: Joyce M. Stovall Company: Law Offices of Cummings & Kemp, Santa Ana Thumbs up: “I enjoy the variety of problems that you get to help people resolve. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re prosecuting a claim, or if you’re on the side of the defense. It’s an opportunity to solve somebody else’s problem in a minimum amount of time and in a cost-effective manner. I especially like this firm. It’s a good place to work. It is color- and gender-blind; on the other hand, it realizes the special experiences an attorney can bring to the table because of their cultural or gender orientation. The combination we have here works well.” Thumbs down: “The court system has been overloaded. As a result, the courts have been under a mandate to hear cases in a more reasonable amount of time. But that creates a tremendous amount of pressure. How can you really be the champion of someone’s rights when you have to investigate a case within an artificial time frame? As an attorney, you’re stretched all over the place trying to get cases into court sooner, while at the same time, you must be aware of issues such as malpractice.” Advice: “You have to want to do this more than anything. I think the law is a very jealous lover, and demands your total concentration. It’s too difficult to go through school and compete for clients if you’re not totally committed. Law is a constant battle--competing in law school, competing for the bar, and competing against other lawyers. You’re always competing against someone. And if you’re not up to the competition, it’s OK to do something else for a living.” Salary range: In Orange County, attorneys earn from $36,000 to more than $400,000 annually. New lawyers starting their own practice, however, may earn little more than expenses during the first years, or may not break even at all. Educational and training requirements: Admission to the California State Bar is required to practice law in the state. To qualify, applicants must pass the California State Bar examination and a multi-state examination on professional responsibility, and be at least 18. In addition, they should have graduated from a law school approved by the American Bar Assn. Size of work force: Very large. In Orange County, there are approximately 10,000 attorneys, which is about 0.8% of the county’s labor force. Expected demand: This ranks among the top 50 fastest-growing occupations in the state. Population growth, business expansion and the complexities of society and government have combined to create a strong demand for attorneys, but competition will be intense for jobs. The number of self-employed lawyers is expected to continue to increase slowly. Job description: Attorneys advise clients regarding their legal rights and obligations and help them to obtain their rights in the court system. They represent clients and negotiate settlements outside of court before judicial or administrative agencies. They also draft legal documents such as contracts, wills, deeds or mortgages. Advancement: Attorneys who practice in private law firms may be promoted to junior and eventually full partners. In government service, promotions lead to greater responsibilities. Many times, corporate lawyers advance to key executive positions, such as on the board of directors. Trial lawyers may become judges. For more information: Call an admissions counselor at Western State University College of Law at (714) 738-1000 for the Fullerton campus, or (714) 753-9100 for the Irvine campus. Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times