Passing the bar is any lawyer’s first step into the actual lawyer lifestyle. Prior to that, they are law students or graduates, simply soaking in knowledge and remembering as much as they can about the laws affecting their specialties. Normally, before they gain legal employment most law school graduates are somewhat unfamiliar with the lawyer lifestyle, and so are those considering law school. Here is somewhat of a primer on what these people can expect to experience should they pass the bar and get into practice.

First, the lawyer lifestyle denotes that the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. experience is pretty nonexistent. Most lawyers start their days far earlier than 9 a.m. and end them long after 5 p.m. So the hours are usually much longer than, say, someone working for a corporate entity. However, this is not a hard and fast rule, and a lot of times lawyers can bring their work home with them and do not have to stay in the office well past 5 p.m. each night. And sometimes, when case loads are low they have more flexible schedules. They basically respond to the ebb and flow of their clients’ case loads.

Second, the lawyer lifestyle revolves around dressing professionally. This includes suits for both men and women and high end apparel and accessories whenever possible. Most people consider lawyers to be very well off financially, and even for lawyers just starting out this impression is very important. A prospective client probably will not hire a disheveled looking lawyer or one who looks as if he buys his clothes from a big box store. Appearance is everything with the lawyer lifestyle, which ranges all the way from clothing to the cars they drive and the offices they occupy.

Third, the lawyer lifestyle brings with it a certain connotation of the finer things in life, like taking nice vacations and buying nice things for themselves and as gifts. This somewhat relates to the second item mentioned above, but it goes a bit further into the overall tastes of most lawyers and what they like to do outside of normal business hours. The lawyer lifestyle often includes nice dinners out, drinking high quality wine and attending high class parties. It is never going to be the case every single time, but for most law school students and those just starting out in practice these are things they consider when thinking about the lawyer lifestyle.