Laws are partly formed for the sake of good men, in order to instruct them how they may live on friendly terms with one another, and partly for the sake of those who refuse to be instructed, whose spirit cannot be subdued, or softened, or hindered from plunging into evil.

Plato

Today I’m not gonna talk about theoretical differences between private and public law, I’m want to talk about what are differences between lawyers who work in either of these areas. For example, what qualities and morals, apart from the usual, should be present in these people.

In my mind main difference between private or public work lays in how much power legal worker actually have. Someone who specialises in public law, is working between borders set by law, which precisely says what is allowed and what is not. In private law, lawyers have as much power as law and their imagination allows. In a nutshell, there are more possible resolutions in private law. But what kind of lawyer is suitable for each of these areas?

Even though I believe that in real life setting it wouldn’t matter, I think some lawyers are more suited for certain jobs than others. Someone who is used to sticking by the books and following clear trace of facts, probably would feel more comfortable working in public sector. On the other hand, someone who likes taking risks and thinks outside of the box, would feel better working in private sector, which allows them to prove themselves.

The way I put it, seems like I’m saying that public sector relies on knowledge, while private sector – on creativity. Which kinda brings me to my point, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter whether someone work in public or private sector, both of these specialisations need lawyers who are experts in law and at the same time, can get creative if needed. Probably though, our individual character and aspirations are what makes us lean towards one specialisation over another.

Bottom line is, no matter what you choose to do and what kind of lawyer you want to be, don’t forget that knowledge and ability to think outside of the box, are necessary skills to have.

/M.P./