The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society; from buying a home or signing a will, to seeking justice when injured or betrayed. Lawyers form the backbone of this vital system, linking it to the society, in myriad ways. In view of this reason, they hold positions of great responsibility, and are obligated to adhere to a strict code of ethics.

Once a colonial nation, Pakistan follows an interesting mix of British and Islamic law to date, along with a common law system, where case law or laws passed by judges are taken more seriously, than in a civil law system.

Ever since the independence of Pakistan, law has proven a lucrative career. Karachi alone has over 10,000 lawyers.

Depending on ones personal interests, a lawyer can specialize in a number of different areas such as, Corporate Law and litigation for MNCs, Criminal Law, Tax Law, Industrial Relations, Civil Practice and several others.

Corporate Law deals with advising clients about starting a business, business taxation, mergers, intellectual property rights and so forth. Legal advisors to MNCs act as liaisons between law firms and the respective MNCs involved, along with providing advice on minor legal issues. Criminal Law (Faujdari Muqadamat) involves, defending or prosecuting those accused of committing crimes, while Tax Law entails counseling businesses and individuals in local, state and federal tax issues. Industrial Relations deal with labour laws. Civil Practice (Dewani Muqadamat) includes various forms of litigation such as family disputes, immigration, banking matters, succession and property disputes, constitutional petition and others.

There are also other alternatives in the field of law, apart from becoming a lawyer, such as Paralegal staff, Court Reporter, Educational Administrator at a law school, Enforcement Specialist for government agencies, Non-profit Management Employee or Servicing the legal profession.

In Pakistan, there is no fixed salary for most starters in the legal profession, for the first 7-8 years, during which they gain experience as apprentices, working under experienced practitioners or firms, which guide them and help them make contacts with prospective clients. Less than 1% of fresh lawyers work for law-firms at a fixed salary. An MNC litigator may however get a retainership allowance for Rs. 20-30,000/month. On an average, law firms offer local graduates Rs. 5-15,000 and foreign graduates Rs. 15-25,000/month. However, once personal capabilities have been polished, and a lawyer establishes his own firm, the sky is the limit, to the extent that eventually one can expect to earn 50-60 lakhs per month.

A multi-disciplinary background, along with an ability to win the respect and confidence of clients is an important prerequisite for a lawyer. He/she must be able to think quickly, and should be able to speak with ease and authority. A Lawyer must also possess creative skills, and the ability to reason and perseverance. In addition, he/she must be well acquainted with court decorum and latest amendments in law. Apart from being in the court, lawyers must expect to spend their time outside the courtroom, preparing case law precedents, interviewing clients and witnesses, and handling other details in preparing for the trial.

So, if you are willing to be intellectually stimulated, want to learn something new everyday, and love competition, then law is an ideal career for you.