A lot of people think that law school teaches everything there is to know about being a lawyer. In truth, almost everything practical I learned about being a lawyer, I learned in practice after I graduated. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t knock my law school experience. Law school taught me critical thinking skills that I use on a daily basis. But most of what I learned about the nuts and bolts of practicing law I didn’t get sitting in a class room. Also thought me to have a estate lawyer near me, because there is always some problems with properties.
Law school can’t possibly teach all you need to know. There are so many unique issues in legal practice, so many variations from one jurisdiction to the next, so many local rules, so many differences in the way different court rooms operate. So when a new issue comes my way that I don’t know how to deal with, what do I do? How do I get started?
I research. I read. I ask around. As a lawyer getting started (and even to this day), I spent time in the library (both law library and public library) and online. I always find myself asking fellow lawyers what to do about situations. This is not a bad thing. Any lawyer who doesn’t do these things is committing malpractice.
I find that one of the best ways to familiarize myself with an area of the law is to use quality legal self-help materials. These are practical guides that teach about legal issues. These guides won’t teach you everything. You also have to review relevant statutes, case law, and local rules that apply to your case, but it is certainly a great place to start.
Nolo is a great resource for legal self-help materials that I have used on numerous occasions. Link to them below to see if they have materials for your legal issue.
