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The worst part of being a lawyer, for most that I know, is that you are for the most part just an employee, answering to everyone. You have to answer to the client. If you work in a firm, you have to answer to those above you. You have to bear responsibility even for things you can't control. As a business, the hourly rates have gotten so high, you can't waste time being overly careful, but you bear full responsibility for any mistakes.
The other thing people don't realize, is that most successful lawyers aren't successful because they "can argue so well" or "can read a lot." They are successful because they are successful SALESMEN. Yep, at the end of the day, law is a SALES job.
If you get a job at a firm out of law school, yes, you can go a few years doing grunt work, without salesmanship. But that is a HUGE mistake. From day one, a lawyer needs to start building a client base, and controlling that base. Without controlling a client base, a young lawyer's future at a firm is going to only be short-mid term (maybe 5-7 years). You won't make partner unless you control a book of business. And a grunt work associate pushed out of the firm at 7 years is in a miserable position.
Sales: You need to sell yourself to get clients. You need to sell yourself to keep clients. You need to sell the job that you are doing and have done for the client (i.e., they have to be kept happy, and most of the time people hiring lawyers are not in happy positions). You have to sell your bill to the client, i.e., get them to pay, which is often difficult given the high rates these days.
If your daughter isn't into sales and self-promotion, it probably isn't the business for her.
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