Top Law Schools

So I've got a callback with a firm that has a large real estate practice. I told them I'm interested in real estate.
I don't really know what real estate lawyers do. What is unique about it?

Given the economy I suspect that it will be a great opportunity to become familiar with foreclosures.

haus wrote:Given the economy I suspect that it will be a great opportunity to become familiar with foreclosures.

Yes and no. Having worked for a large real estate investment/management firm, I can tell you that for the major players, the real estate market is still very much alive. Having said that, you will quite likely be dealing with the negative aspect of real estate (i.e. losses).

As far as the real estate lawyers go, much of the work that you will be doing as a beginner is paperwork. Any deal negotiations that the can be done by attorneys will be done by senior members of the firm and certainly not by SA's/First-years.

MrPapagiorgio wrote:

haus wrote:Given the economy I suspect that it will be a great opportunity to become familiar with foreclosures.

Yes and no. Having worked for a large real estate investment/management firm, I can tell you that for the major players, the real estate market is still very much alive. Having said that, you will quite likely be dealing with the negative aspect of real estate (i.e. losses).

As far as the real estate lawyers go, much of the work that you will be doing as a beginner is paperwork. Any deal negotiations that the can be done by attorneys will be done by senior members of the firm and certainly not by SA's/First-years.

So what would you say is unique about real estate compared to other corporate?

Not an answer about process but about substance: Real estate lawyers have told me they like that the results of their successful deals are concrete things they can go see and visit and point to as achievements, as opposed to, say, M&A, or bankruptcy, or another practice area where your transactions are mainly about moving around ephemeral parts of businesses.

Anonymous User wrote:Not an answer about process but about substance: Real estate lawyers have told me they like that the results of their successful deals are concrete things they can go see and visit and point to as achievements, as opposed to, say, M&A, or bankruptcy, or a practice area where your transactions are mainly about moving around ephemeral parts of businesses.

This is pretty irrelevant if by "real estate" you really mean "asset backed securities," which is the case at most large law firms. There's still no construction going on.

Cox Castle?