Success Comes From Hard Work For A Philadelphia Attorney
Michael H. Fienman is a criminal defense lawyer with a practice in the Philadelphia area. Michael graduated from Dickinson College and received his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. While attending law school, he worked for criminal defense firms as a law clerk. He was placed on the Dean's List for his superior academic work while in school.
What kind of degree is needed to secure a job in your field?
"[You] must have an undergraduate degree and a Juris Doctor (JD), which is conferred upon graduation from law school. [You] must graduate from an ABA (American Bar Association) accredited law school. After graduation, [you] must pass the bar exam for the jurisdiction(s) in which you want to practice law. Once you pass the bar exam, you can practice any type of law except for patent law and admiralty law, which require the passage of specific exams."
What's the most challenging aspects of your job?
"It is challenging to tell people things that they do not want to hear. Often times, I am the bearer of bad news. For example, jail time, probable financial loss, etc. On the flip side, I often make lemonade from lemons, so that makes my job quite rewarding."
After graduation, how hard was it to transition into the working world?
"Not terribly difficult to transition, but I worked for attorneys throughout law school. As long as you are willing to work hard and put forth 100 percent effort, you will succeed in this business."
What advice would you give someone who is pursuing a career in criminal justice?
"Criminal justice to me is quite different from being a criminal defense lawyer. [In] criminal justice, you work for the police department or prosecutor's office. I work for defendants accused of perpetrating crimes. As far as advice on becoming an attorney, if you want to be a lawyer because you think it is a glamorous job that will allow you to earn oodles of money, you're wasting your time. If you want to be a lawyer because you believe in America and defending the rights of individuals under the Constitution, your heart is probably in the right place. That being said, be prepared for long hours and an extremely competitive market."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/