Is law right for me? Try the reading and the arguing first

The work behind the courtroom

Legal work is built on reading something very carefully, finding what it actually says (as opposed to what someone hoped it said), and writing clearly enough that the next reader cannot misunderstand you. Advocacy matters in some areas. Precision matters in all of them.

Exercise: find the ambiguity (fictional clause)

The Tenant may keep a pet at the Property provided it is small and does not cause a nuisance. The Landlord may withdraw this permission at any time.

Spend thirty minutes writing a one-page note for the tenant. Identify every phrase that could be argued about. Prompts if you need them: what does “small” mean, and who decides? Is “a pet” one pet? What counts as a “nuisance”, and to whom? Does “at any time” mean without notice? What happens to the pet if permission is withdrawn?

Then redraft the clause to remove the ambiguities you think matter most. Notice that every fix involves a choice that favours one side. That trade-off is the daily texture of legal drafting.

This is a practice exercise, not legal advice, and real tenancy terms are shaped by local law.

Watch a hearing

Many courts allow the public to watch hearings. Check your local court's guidance on public access, sit in for a morning, and notice how much of what happens is procedure, waiting and reference to documents. Ask yourself whether you would like to be the person who prepared those documents.

Talk to two different lawyers

A family lawyer, a corporate transactional lawyer and a public defender have very different weeks. Ask each: what did you do yesterday, hour by hour? What do clients misunderstand about your work? What would you tell someone considering law school?

Read your reactions

• Enjoyed hunting ambiguities and redrafting: transactional or advisory law may suit you.
• Enjoyed imagining how each side would argue: litigation or advocacy is worth exploring.
• Liked the rules but not the adversarial part: look at compliance, policy or mediation.

A sample note (illustrative)

Issue: whether the tenant may keep two cats. The clause permits “a pet” that is “small”. It is unclear whether “a pet” limits the number to one, and “small” is not defined. Risk: the landlord could argue two animals exceed the permission, or that a cat is not small. The clause allows withdrawal “at any time” without stating notice. Suggested redraft: the tenant may keep up to two cats or one dog under 15 kg, with permission withdrawable only on 28 days' written notice following a documented nuisance complaint.

Notice how the redraft makes choices: a number, a weight, a notice period, a trigger. Each could be argued over by the other side. Drafting is negotiation on paper.

Routes that use legal skills without practising law

• Compliance and regulatory roles in finance, healthcare and technology.
• Contract management and procurement.
• Policy roles in government and NGOs.
• Legal operations and legal technology.
• Mediation and dispute resolution, with appropriate training.

If the exercises appeal but the training route or culture does not, these are worth testing too.