Over the centuries, societies have built up systems of law that have been studied and drawn upon by later governments. The earliest known law is the Code of Hammurabi, developed about 1800 B.C. by the ruler of the Sumerians. Another early set of laws was the law of Moses, also known as the Ten Commandments. Every set of laws, no matter when it was introduced, has been accompanied by the need for someone to explain those laws and help others live under them.
Much modern European law was organized and refined by legal experts assembled by Napoleon; their body of law was known as the Napoleonic Code. English colonists coming to America brought English common law, which influenced the development of much of American law. As the population in the country grew and the number of businesses increased, those who knew the law were in high demand. The two main kinds of law are civil and criminal, but many other specialty areas are also prevalent today. When our country was young, most lawyers were general law practitioners; they knew and worked with all the laws for their clients. Today, as laws have grown more complex, an increasing number of lawyers specialize and limit their practices to certain areas, such as tax law, corporate law, and intellectual property law.
In the 20th century, the number of Americans over the age of 65 increased dramatically. One significant reason for this increase was medical and technological advances that extended life spans. As the older population became larger, its members began to experience problems and have concerns that affected all of society, including financing the post-retirement years, the increased need for nursing homes and medical/geriatric care, the legal and ethical issues regarding the care of individuals with diminished capabilities, and the frequent difficulty of getting the appropriate public benefits. Senior citizens who may never have seen an attorney in their lives can find themselves in need of legal advice and advocacy. Out of necessity, elder law has developed to meet their needs. In addition, one of the largest generations in our country's history—the "baby boomers" who were born between 1945 and 1965—are becoming a part of this older generation. As this large generation ages, the demand for elder law attorneys should increase.
- Adult Day Care Coordinators
- Arbitrators
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bankruptcy Lawyers
- Biotechnology Patent Lawyers
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Bounty Hunters
- Civil Litigation Lawyers
- Corporate Lawyers
- Court Interpreters and Translators
- Court Reporters
- Criminal Lawyers
- Environmental Lawyers
- Family Lawyers
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Geriatric Care Managers
- Geriatric Nurses
- Geriatric Psychiatrists
- Geriatric Social Workers
- Geriatricians
- Grief Therapists
- Home Health Care Aides
- Home Health Care and Hospice Nurses
- Hospice Workers
- Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Judges
- Law Librarians
- Lawyers
- Legal Nurse Consultants
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Legal Secretaries
- Litigation Support/eDiscovery Analysts
- Medical Ethicists
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorneys
- Music Therapists
- Nursing Home Administrators
- Paralegals
- Patent Agents
- Patent Lawyers
- Personal Care Aides
- Polygraph Examiners
- Process Servers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Real Estate Lawyers
- Recreational Therapists
- Senior Care Pharmacists
- Space Lawyers
- Tax Attorneys