Practicing employment law can be very complex yet very fulfilling.  It can involve employment discrimination suits, which range from race, sex, age or disability discrimation to cases which pertain to misappropriation of trade secrets or suits to enforce Non-Competition Agreements.  You might represent the employee who feels wronged, or you could represent employers against those claims.  If you defend the employers part of your responsibility would be to advise the employers how to best avoid these suits. 

These cases typically involve complicated relationships between people in the workplace and therefore may be fraught with emotion and hurt feelings.  There is a very human component to this field, so a prerequisite needed to practice in this field would be people skills.  You must develop a real trust relationship with your clients and serve as their competent advisor, regardless of the side you argue.  You should also possess excellent writing skills and ensure that you are up to date on the latest developments in the field.

Tax law deal with the rules, policies and laws that oversee the tax process and can involve charges on estates, property, transactions, income, licenses and more by the government. This area is extremely complex and ever changing, so an attorney practicing in this field must be on top of his game and continually keep up with all the amendments to the tax law.  There are also many entities that are entitled to collect taxes, from the Federal level to the city or township level.  The Federal tax practice has its own court and is a very detailed practice. 

As a tax attorney, you may represent clients in tax disputes or may assist clients to navigate the intricate laws.  If you are interested in this field, you could explore the option of getting your LLM in Taxation, which may give you an edge in your job search.

Real Estate or Property law covers a lot of ground and often overlaps with Contract Law.  It is regulated by federal and state statutes, as well as common law and encompasses more than just land and structures on that land.  It can also involve interests people may have in the land, the air above the land, drilling rights, or rights to live on the property.

While primarily a transactional field, there may be occasions when a real estate attorney may appear in court to handle zoning disputes or to represent a client threatened with foreclosure, for example.  Of course, attorneys in this field also deal with related issues like landlord-tenant issues, title issues, home loans and foreclosures and more.  It is a very complex area further complicated by inconsistent laws throughout cities and states.

Due to the current market conditions, bankruptcy is one of the hottest legal fields in our nation and is continuing to grow.  Bankruptcy lawyers represent creditors and debtors in financial restructurings, workouts, and bankruptcy cases, therefore the attorney must know the bankruptcy code as well as understanding mergers and acquistitions, corporate and securities, real estate, employment law and regulatory practice.

Bankruptcy is really a hybrid between litigation and transactional practice, so the practitioner should be skilled in both drafting documents as well as being able to argue them successfully.  Writing skills are a necessity for drafting the pleadings, motions, and other documents the bankruptcy attorney will use daily.  Because bankruptcy law is economy driven, now is a great time to find your opportunity in this field.

How can you differentiate yourself from other candidates in this tough job market?  You need to have the skills many firms will be looking for.  One new and lucrative niche right now is in the area of E-Discovery.  It is vitally important and just as complicated.  As more data is stored electronically, businesses and law firms need an E-Discovery attorney to help identify, preserve, collect, process, review and produce this electronic discovery.  Further, law firms need expertise is advising them of relevant laws, how to protect e-files, and to advise them in trial.  If you develop the technical knowledge and skills, you can be on the forefront of this burgeoning field.