Originally Posted by
767-322ETOPS
be prepared to work like a dog. Long hours are expected, and you won't have much time to do much of anything else.
God, yes, and the #1 reason cited by my friends who are leaving the practice of law after 5-6 years at the bar. People are surprisingly resilient, and can put up with
anything for short periods of time, but 12-16 workdays will simply wear you down after three or four years.
You'll make decent money, especially if you land a position at a large law firm,
Unless you're brave enough to work in criminal or family law, where your salary will be comparable to police officers and teachers. I laughed merrily at the horrified expression on one American real estate lawyer's face when I advised that, in Alberta, Crown Prosecutors with less than five years of experience can expect to receive a maximum salary of $65,000/yr (about the same for defence counsel).
but it's really blood money that they're paying you.
If you do want to travel, I'd suggest that you consider a career in oil & gas / natural resources law. It's not the most exciting work, but a number of my friends who specialize in this area have made quite a bit of money doing contract work in the Gulf states.