My older brother is serving six years in prison for a fight he got into. During his trial, I got the urge to be a lawyer, but I don't want to represent people accused of crimes. What other types of law are in demand?

MT: Nearly every aspect of public life is affected by the law, so there are significantly more areas than criminal law. Finding the type of law that best fits your interests involves many factors, including where you wish to practice (demand for particular types of law can be influenced by geography and an area’s needs), as well as your own skill sets and expertise (e.g., patent lawyers often have a science or technical proficiency). 

TH: There is a wide range of areas of law practice that may be of interest to you. I’ll touch on a few, but there are many more than I have room to list. The increased reliance on the Web to distribute information, goods, music, etc. has forced an interest in intellectual property, telecommunications, and entertainment law.  The ever-increasing attention paid to protecting the environment has fueled people’s interest in environmental law. Current issues related to foreign policy, immigration, and human rights have made international law another area in high demand right now.  To check out all the different fields of law, click here.

PB: The type of law in demand changes as rapidly as the news – really! Real estate, bankruptcy, and contract lawyers are always in demand. Intellectual property, sometimes called patent law, is very popular because of technological advances. As the population ages, elder law and health law are other types of law that will experience growth.

If you really like the courtroom, you could consider working for the prosecution – the other side of the bench from representing the people accused of crimes. Or you could go into civil litigation, where you represent people who were harmed in some fashion but not criminally. Examples would be a breach of contract, insurance issues, or a problem with a consumer product.