How do I Become a Work Injury Lawyer?

Work injury lawyers typically use their knowledge of tort law to serve individuals who have been physically or psychologically injured at work in the private or government sector. The job entails various aspects of the legal process, such as client intake, legal research, legal writing, legal advice, protecting client rights, negotiating on the client's behalf, drafting documents, or speaking in court on the client's behalf. To become a work injury lawyer, you generally will need a college degree, post-graduate work experience in a legal setting, internship experience in a work injury law firm during law school, and a law degree.

To become a work injury lawyer, it is important to get a college degree. You can pursue any major you desire, but it is important to keep in mind that getting in to law school can be competitive. Thus, whatever major you choose, getting good grades in college can be essential because a high grade point average (GPA) will be something that many prospective law schools will want to see.

During college, it can also be helpful for you to participate in a law-related internship. The career services department at your college should be able to help you apply for an internship. Completing a law-related internship during college can be important — an internship can provide you with valuable supervised experience to help supplement your college learning.

Generally, it is recommended that you apply for your first law-related job during the last semester of college. The purpose of this first post-graduate job is to enable you to gain work experience in a law-related setting so as to improve your chances for being accepted to law school. A career services department at your college can usually provide job-search assistance. Talking with your college internship supervisor and conducting online job searches may also be helpful in your job search.

You could look for law school opportunities as soon as you have completed your first year of post-graduate work experience in a law-related setting. The Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) in law is generally recommended for anyone who wants to eventually become a work injury lawyer. During law school, participation in an internship in a worker's compensation law firm or work injury law firm can be important — it will give you specific knowledge of how to function on the job in a work injury law setting while also helping to enhance your resume.

Once you have completed law school and passed the bar exam, you can become a work injury lawyer. You then will be eligible to be hired as a work injury lawyer at a law firm. While working at the law firm, you can continue improving your legal skills under the supervision of experienced lawyers. This can help you to become more knowledgeable and more confident in your legal skills.

After you have worked in a work injury law firm for a few years, you may choose to continue working for a firm as an associate or you could decide to start your own law firm. There are advantages associated with either career path. Working with a firm means that you might have the opportunity to be a partner in the firm someday, whereas working as a sole practitioner enables you to be your own boss. The choice you make will likely depend on your own particular long-term career goals.