M: Have you given more thought to studying law?
W: I've been thinking about it a lot, yes. In fact, this is why I wished to speak to you. I wanted to hear more about what it's like.
M: A career in law is a beautiful thing in my opinion. Many people will say it's a boring field, but I disagree. The thing is there are many different branches of law and many different jobs.
W: You are involved with buildings and construction, right?
M: Correct. I'm a solicitor, specializing in real estate. Most of my work involves mediating land disputes.
W: Do you mind giving me an example?
M: Sure. So in many cases I am employed to arbitrate between two clashing parties. Let's say for example, there are two landowners who are in a thorny disagreement about something like the borders of their adjacent plots. Someone may employ me to break the deadlock and resolve the dispute. Often my work involves negotiating agreements, plain and simple.
W: So you are saying that a lot of what you do is fix people's legal issues, like you try to find a solution that benefits everyone and that prevents a problem from escalating.
M: Exactly, well put. You need to remember that courts, like all bureaucracies really, can be very messy, frustrating, and expensive. For this reason, it's usually better to resolve problems outside of court whenever possible.
W: I see. So besides knowing the law inside out, you need good people skills, right?
M: Of course. Any job that involves people requires good interpersonal skills, and any law professional needs to be very eloquent at articulating that argument.
W: Right. So I've been thinking about studying criminal law. I think it sounds very interesting.
M: Mm-hmm, yes. I'd say there's more money in property law, but the stakes are higher in criminal law. I can see how you would find it more interesting.