Employers
Private law firms specializing in real estate law are just one avenue of employment for lawyers, either as an associate, or sole practitioner. Real estate lawyers may also hold positions as house counsel for businesses, such as a real estate brokerage firm or developer. Some may choose to represent banks and mortgage companies. Others may be employed by local government to work on zoning laws or other real estate-related legal issues.
Starting Out
The first steps to entering the law profession are graduation from an approved law school and passing a state bar examination. Usually beginning lawyers do not go into solo practice right away. It is often difficult to become established, and additional experience is helpful to the beginning lawyer. Also, most lawyers do not specialize in a particular branch of law without first gaining experience. Beginning lawyers usually work as assistants to experienced real estate lawyers. At first they do mainly research and routine work. After a few years of successful experience, they may be promoted to junior partner, or be ready to go out on their own and specialize in real estate law. Other choices open to the beginning lawyer include joining an established law firm or entering into partnership with another lawyer. Positions are also available with banks, business corporations such as large title and mortgage companies, insurance companies, and with government agencies at different levels.
Many new lawyers are recruited by law firms or other employers directly from law school. Recruiters come to the school and interview possible hires. Other new graduates can get job leads from local and state bar associations.
You may also want to check out the American Bar Association Web site, which often posts employment opportunities and job fairs in its Career Center section. State bar associations will also provide job leads located in their state. Use the Internet to find out if your state has an association catering to the interests of real estate lawyers.
- Arbitrators
- Architects
- Assessors and Appraisers
- 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
- Credit Analysts
- Criminal Lawyers
- Elder Law Attorneys
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- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Geodetic Surveyors
- Grounds Managers
- Hedge Fund Lawyers
- Home Stagers
- Household Movers
- Insurance Policy Processing Workers
- Insurance Underwriters
- Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Interior Designers and Decorators
- Investment Fund Managers
- Investment Professionals
- Investment Underwriters
- Judges
- Landscapers
- Law Librarians
- Lawyers
- Legal Nurse Consultants
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Legal Secretaries
- Litigation Support/eDiscovery Analysts
- Loan Officers and Counselors
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorneys
- Mutual Fund Analysts
- Mutual Fund Financial Managers
- Mutual Fund Lawyers
- Mutual Fund Portfolio Managers
- Paralegals
- Patent Agents
- Patent Lawyers
- Polygraph Examiners
- Process Servers
- Property and Real Estate Managers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Real Estate Agents and Brokers
- Real Estate Clerks
- Real Estate Developers
- Real Estate Educators
- Real Estate Writers
- Space Lawyers
- Surveyors
- Tax Attorneys
- Title Searchers and Examiners
- Urban and Regional Planners