The tradition of governing people by laws has been established over 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, known as the Ten Commandments. Every set of laws, no matter when they were introduced, has been accompanied by the need for someone to explain those laws and help others live under them.
The great orators of ancient Greece and Rome set up schools for young boys to learn by apprenticeship the many skills involved in pleading a law case. To be an eloquent speaker was the greatest advantage. The legal profession has matured since those earlier times; a great deal of training and an extensive knowledge of legal matters are required of the modern lawyer and judge.
Much modern European law was organized and refined by legal experts assembled by Napoleon (1769–1821); their body of law was known as the Napoleonic Code. English colonists coming to America brought English common law, from which American laws have grown. In areas of the United States that were heavily settled by Spanish colonists, there are traces of Spanish law. As the population in the country grew, along with business, those who knew the law were in high demand.
Today, many lawyers choose to specialize in a particular area of the law. Real estate law, for example, deals with legal issues regarding the sale or rental of property, as well as construction-related issues.
- 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
- Environmental Lawyers
- Family Lawyers
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Geodetic Surveyors
- Grounds Managers
- 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 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
