Law Careers & Theology

Assuming the role of both advocate and advisor, lawyers (also known as attorneys) can choose to concentrate on becoming a defender of religious freedom. They often take on religious discrimination cases or provide legal services through a law practice that integrates faith values. The educational journey that a lawyer undertakes is one that is demanding, lengthy and competitive. However, in the end, a graduate is trained to professionally represent individual clients, businesses, and government agencies as they face legal issues and disputes that may or may not involve religious beliefs.

Job Activities & Responsibilities

From corporate legal departments to small private firms, lawyers can work on a full-time or part-time basis, as well as assume the role of a self-employed consultant. The workload can be demanding, with some attorneys clocking in more than 40 hours per week. The job description often includes interacting with and overseeing the work of support staff, such as paralegals, assistants and secretaries. Also, a lawyer that specializes in a particular legal field will take on responsibilities specific to his or her field, such as keeping up with the policies and current events related to the environment, taxes, intellectual property, or family law.

Other day-to-day activities associated with this profession include the following:

  • Interpreting laws and regulations as they affect individual cases
  • Providing advice and representation for clients in court and during private legal proceedings
  • Staying in communication with clients, colleagues, judges and witnesses (when applicable)
  • Conducting research and analysis of legal issues and possible solutions
  • Arguing on behalf of clients and businesses, both verbally and in writing
  • Preparing legal documents, such as business contracts, wills, and lawsuit paperwork

Education

To obtain the law degree required to provide legal services, aspiring attorneys must complete four years of an undergraduate education, followed by three years of law school. The average curriculum for an aspiring faith-based lawyer often consists of courses related to English, theology, ethics, civics, public speaking, public policy, history, government, economics, and mathematics. Some schools offer dual degree programs that combine theology studies with law.

Depending on the state that a lawyer expects to practice in, he or she may need to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) in order to specifically earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Before practicing, a lawyer must also pass a state-required written bar examination.

Career Salary & Job Outlook

Employment for lawyers is found at corporations and law firms of varying sizes, as well as on the federal, local and state government level at hospitals and schools. Public-interest lawyers typically work for private, nonprofit organizations. About 20% of attorneys go on to establish their own firms, and become self-employed. In 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted the median annual pay for this occupation was $119,250, with the lowest 10 percent being paid less than $57,430, and the highest 10 percent earning more than $208,000.

Factors, such as years of experience, specialties and geographic location, play a role in the overall salary of a lawyer. For example, the highest-paying opportunities to practice law in the U.S. are found in California, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Competition for these jobs will be strong, as there are generally more students that complete law school yearly than there are available job positions.

The demand for legal services is expected to stay in line with the average growth for all other occupations in the United States, at 8%, from 2016 to 2026. The BLS states that 65,000 new openings will emerge during this time frame.

 

Q & A

Lisa Witt
What made you want to become a
lawyer?
Initially, it was because I discovered that I enjoyed researching issues
and arguing them when I was a member of the Cross-Examination Debate
Association during my first two years of college. I came to realize
years after I began practicing that I also enjoy helping people solve
their legal problems with the Arizona criminal justice system.

Nance Schick

 

I became a lawyer for several reasons: 1. To help my family more
financially.

2. Because I was already advocating so much for my mother
and nephew that I thought maybe I could make a living in advocacy.

3. To be in a career where I was continuously learning.

Lisa Witt

Once you got out of law school were things different then what
you expected?

Yes! Law school did not prepare me for the day-to-day of being a defense
attorney such as dealing with clients and preparing and filing motions.
I had a huge learning curve.

Nance Schick

Once you got out of law school were things different then what
you expected?

By the time I got out of law school, I had a better idea than going in
of what was likely to occur. Before, I didn’t realize the limitations of
going to a second-tier state school and being a non-traditional, or
older, student who was working multiple jobs to support herself. I
thought that would be valued more, and I learned a bit too late what law
review was and how important it was that I do more than try to excel
based on effort and passing the bar exam. Still, I had some surprises
when I started interviewing and working. I was surprised at how informal
the practice could be at times and how unprofessional groups of
attorneys could be—just like everyone else. I guess I thought we were
better able to rise above our human weaknesses, and I’m no longer
surprised that we are mere humans!

Lisa Witt

What was a day like for you?

I’m a solo defense attorney so I control my time (in theory). The
reality is that my work plans on any given day can be hijacked by a
client, prosecutor, or judge suddenly doing something that I must react
to. I try to be flexible so that I don’t waste time stressing over
their interruptions.

Nance Schick

What was a day like for you?

My first days practicing law were insane. I started on a Thursday, and
the head of the department I was in quit the next day. The following
week, I was training to take her place! I refused to fail and carried
books with me everywhere, so I could get up to speed quickly. I got
almost no training, but I figured it out—from where these places with
funny names were to who I could trust, who I needed to watch, etc. I
got a lot of experience I probably shouldn’t have. I was managing a
department and a caseload, and I was trying cases within my first three
months as a new attorney. I worked long hours, much like I do today.
And I made mistakes, but none of them prejudicial to the clients. It
was a different practice then. Now, with the implementation of various
technologies intended to make the process more efficient, there’s a lot
more focus on form over substance. If I were put in the same situation
today, I would probably quit or lose my license. I’m glad those days
are behind me, but today isn’t much easier.

Lisa Witt

Do you enjoy your job?

Very much! Nothing compares to helping a client navigate through the
Arizona criminal justice system.

Nance Schick

Do you enjoy your job? I have been self-employed for
the past 15 years, so I don’t really have a job per se. I have multiple
jobs. I am Attorney, Managing Attorney, President, CEO, CFO, Marketing
Director, HR Manager, and more. Most of the time, I love it.

Lisa Witt

What are the best parts and worst parts of your job?

Best parts: clients, legal research and writing motions and briefs on
their cases

Worst parts: unyielding or unreasonable prosecutors, Arizona’s harsh
mandatory sentencing laws

Lisa Gonzalo

What are the best parts and worst parts of your job?

The best parts of the work are the client relationships, but they can
sometimes be the worst, too. I love partnering with clients to
custom-tailor solutions that weren’t obvious right away, but I don’t get
to do that as much in certain practice areas. I am painfully aware of
how ineffective and damaging litigation can be, but that is still where
most emphasis and focus is placed. That sometimes leaves me dealing with
clients who don’t pay, clients who need a lot more attention than I can
give, clients I can’t trust, opposing counsel that thrives on
aggression, judges that enjoy belittling people, and leaders who don’t
honor or enforce codes of professional conduct. Those are the worst
parts of the job.

Lisa Witt

What kind of advice would you offer students?

Don’t become an attorney if you hate conflict. Even a supposedly low
stress part of law such as mediation usually involves a winner and a
loser.

Read up on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). You’ll need to do well
on it in order to get into law school.

A bachelor degree in theology would certainly fulfill the requirement that every law school applicant have a bachelor degree.

I think that there Is a real need for defense lawyers who are Christians. Defendants frequently bring up God and that’s when I try to gently witness to them. I also pray for them and the work that I do on their cases. It’s sad when Christians ask me how I can do what I do when I’m a Christian. They should remember that Jesus said “Judge not, lest ye be judged” and that Jesus could have used a defense attorney when he was brought before the Sanhedrin.

Here’s my website address: https://www.LisaLawAz.com

Nance Schick

What kind of advice would you offer students?

Don’t go into law “for the money”. It’s not as good as the admissions
and financial aid offices will tell you it is. You will work long hours
and sometimes feel like everyone is gunning for you. You will make a lot
of sacrifices that can damage your health and your relationships, if
you’re not on high alert to manage them effectively. So, you need to
have a real love for the profession to last in it. Despite the hard
reality checks I have gotten over the years, I still have a love for the
law and a passion for using it to deliver the liberty and justice for
all I thought we were promised. If you see yourself in that kind of
commitment, please join us. We need more like you!