If you have a legal degree, you are probably wondering what types of jobs you should consider. Knowing where to begin can be challenging, primarily since so many options exist. Nevertheless, the great thing about this type of degree is that you can use it almost anywhere that requires legal expertise. This post will explore the wide range of occupations for which a law degree is inherently beneficial.
Content Writing
You might not immediately imagine a law degree being valuable for the first occupation on this list; however, you’d be surprised at how lucrative it can be. Numerous law firms require a steady output of high-quality and informative content on their websites to attract new clients and establish themselves as industry experts. The complexity of legal topics makes writing about them difficult for most standard content writers, and as such, content writing for law firms has become an industry in itself. The pay is high, the hours are flexible, and it can be a great way to hone your legal skills on a broad range of legal topics. Moreover, the demand for positions is high, making it the perfect opportunity for new and experienced lawyers to make extra money and help those in need of legal advice.
Attorney
Becoming an attorney is probably the most obvious choice if you have a law degree. Furthermore, depending on your specialization, you have a wide range of options. In fact, there are several distinct disciplines to choose from depending on what you are interested in, including:
- Bankruptcy law: A bankruptcy lawyer generally specializes in either personal bankruptcy or corporate bankruptcy and is usually involved with helping clients through the process.
- Business law: This type of law relates to anything associated with businesses. This might be mergers and acquisitions, employment issues, or creating legally binding contracts.
- Criminal defense law: Lawyers responsible for criminal defense advocate for those accused of illegal activity fall into this category.
- Family law: This type of practice deals with all aspects of family life. This could be regarding estate planning, custody battles, marriage/ divorce, and even child welfare.
- Immigration law: A lawyer is often necessary to assist with the complicated immigration process.
- Intellectual property law: Intellectual property is a hot topic nowadays, but can be highly complex. An intellectual property lawyer ensures that inventors, authors, artists, and businesses are protected and enforced concerning their rights. It requires a keen understanding of a broad range of topics.
- Personal injury law: This is the field that most people think about when the word attorney comes to mind. This field applies to a broad range of situations, from dog bites to negligent medical practices.
- Tax law: Taxes are a complicated and stressful subject due to their opaque nature. Tax attorneys assist their clients in navigating them to ensure a satisfactory outcome for all involved.
Each of these areas can be further broken down into related categories, creating a wide range of specialties you can pursue with a law degree.
Accounting
Law degrees can help with accounting jobs because they provide a solid foundation in the legal principles and procedures that are relevant to accounting. Additionally, they help you understand the complex financial transactions of the accounting process. Moreover, they are especially useful when working in financial institutions and government agencies, where an acute understanding of the law is vital.
Journalism
Law degrees can be an excellent asset for journalists. A law degree provides a better understanding of the legal aspects of journalism, which is crucial in today’s highly integrated and complex world. Additionally, a law degree provides a good foundation for research and investigative journalism. Law degrees can help journalists in the following ways:
- Law degrees can provide those who want to become journalists with an understanding of the law, which they will need when reporting on high-profile cases or covering legal issues.
- Journalism schools often require applicants to have taken certain prerequisite courses, such as English and history. Law degrees offer these courses at an advanced level and can also provide students with a broader understanding of other disciplines, such as sociology and psychology.
- Law degrees provide students with skills that are useful for journalism jobs, such as writing and research skills, which are critical for journalists.
Politics
Law degrees are an interesting choice to pursue for people who want to work in politics, as they can provide a wide range of skills and knowledge that can be helpful in the political landscape. The first thing that law degrees offer is a deep understanding of the legal system and how it functions. This knowledge is constructive when working with politicians, as they are constantly trying to push legislation through Congress or other governing bodies. Law degrees also offer a deep understanding of history, which can be helpful when it comes to interpreting the Constitution, Supreme Court decisions, and other historical documents related to politics. Finally, law degrees offer a deep understanding of economics, which can help politicians predict what will happen if they make specific policy decisions or enact certain laws.
Banking
Quality law graduates will always be in demand in the banking and financial world. Legal degrees provide a legal perspective and understanding of the law that can be useful for careers in banking. It is also helpful in understanding what the law requires and how it needs to be applied. Lawyers are always needed to draft contracts and represent clients in court. They can also help with compliance and regulation and advise on the best course of action for a given situation. However, a law degree doesn’t just offer the chance to work as a lawyer in a financial institution but also provides opportunities to work as advisors, investment/ portfolio managers, credit analysts, and more.
Recruitment
Law degrees are often seen as a route to careers in law, business, and finance. But what is their worth when it comes to recruitment? Some of the most popular jobs in the recruitment industry are HR officers, legal advisors, and contract managers. These roles require experience in law, which is where a law degree can come into play. A law degree will give you an understanding of employment and labor laws, which will allow you to help your employer with any legal issues that arise.
As you can see from this post, the number of occupations open to law graduates is enormous. Moreover, many of the industries mentioned here can be narrowed even further, resulting in a greater variety of job opportunities.