Studying law in school leads to a wealth of job opportunities upon graduation that make use of a wide range of skills, experience, and interests. It takes a skilled professional to provide legal services, such as counseling clients on legal rights to drafting legal documents to ultimately deciding the outcome of a criminal trial. Because of this, those with an interest in law may follow many different educational paths, including law school and passing the bar exam. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the entry-level educational requirement for a legal occupation is obtaining an associate degree to become a paralegal or legal assistant.
In regards to the legal field, there are hundreds of career options that include positions for paralegals, arbitrators, mediators, attorneys, and judges. Depending on an occupation, being licensed to provide legal services is a must to work in the United States, and primarily applies to lawyers who train to advise and provide legal representation to individual clients, businesses, and other entities. Some legal professions require individuals to pass examinations (like the state bar exam), fulfill state requirements, gain certification, and/or satisfy continuing education obligations in order to perform their duties, such as judges.
In addition to providing a wide-ranging career field, the legal profession is considered one of the most lucrative industries in the current job market, where associates in the largest law firms in the United States start with a salary of $150,000 to $180,000, and partners in notable law firms earn average salaries in excess of $1.2 million. Many professionals in a non-attorney position also receive financial rewards associated with a law-related career. For example, those who provide consultation services to the legal industry as trial- and jury consultants have the potential to build profitable entrepreneurial businesses.
Browse the information below to learn more about the various educational paths available to someone with an interest in pursuing a career in law, starting with an associate degree program and peaking with the highest level of education –a professional doctorate degree which is required to become a lawyer or judge:
Obtaining an Associate of Arts in Legal Studies qualifies an individual to apply for the most entry-level of legal positions, such as becoming a paralegal or legal assistant. In order to enter an associate degree program, which is generally offered at community colleges, applicants must possess a high school diploma.
The curriculum for a two-year associate degree program not only prepares a student to conduct legal research and assist licensed attorneys, but also incorporates general education coursework. Individuals learn the basic concepts of U.S. law, legal terminology, law ethics, legal procedures and civil litigation. Future paralegals and legal assistants are trained to work under the instruction of a lawyer, and are expected to perform duties that typically center on drafting legal documents, organizing and maintaining files, and writing law-related correspondences.
With an associate degree, paralegals and legal assistants assume positions working for all types of organizations, but are mostly employed at law firms, corporations, and government agencies on the local, state and federal level. Since individuals can fill a position with a minimum of two years of training, competition for employment is high. However, the BLS projects a promising 17 percent rate of job growth for paralegals and legal assistants, from 2012 to 2022.
Prospective employees who demonstrate strong database management and computer skills, as well as possess experience regarding a high-demand, specialized area of practice, will most likely face the best job opportunities. The median salary for paralegals and legal assistants with an associate degree was $46,990 in 2012 with those employed in the federal government sector earning an average income of $62,400.
Career advancement may include obtaining optional certification from professional paralegal organizations, and being given more responsibilities and pay raises with increased years of experience. For example, seasoned paralegals are often placed in a position to supervise and assign tasks to other paralegals and clerical staff.
Every applicant to law school must complete a four-year undergraduate degree program. There is no specific major that a student is expected to pursue, but many applicants tend to major in subjects, such as History, Business, Economics, Sociology, and Political Science. In addition to reviewing an individual’s application for admission, law schools also compare the course load and overall GPA of applicants before making a final decision.
Therefore, advanced and challenging courses read well on a law school application. It is also suggested to gain real-world legal experiences, such as completing an internship at a law firm or shadowing attorneys that represent different fields.
Although an associate degree is the minimum requirement for a paralegal or legal assistant, some graduates decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree as a way to increase his or her job prospects. Students, who complete 120 to 130 credit hours, can become a specialized paralegal that qualifies to apply to specific jobs, such as a corporate paralegal or real estate paralegal – all dependent on a student’s focus while in school.
While Federal and State judges generally possess law degrees and have experience working as a lawyer, the minimum educational requirement for some positions (such as administrative law judges, hearing officers, and magistrates) is a bachelor’s degree.
Becoming an attorney or lawyer is not the only career choice that requires a law degree. Those with aspirations to become a judge or hearing officer are typically expected to have a law degree, and possess work experience as a lawyer. Competition is high to gain entry into a law program, and the bulk of preparation for a college student usually takes place during the summer following their junior year or during the fall of their senior year.
The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is a standardized exam administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) which measures the reading comprehension skills, analytical skills, and logical reasoning of applicants. LSAT scores range from 120 to 180 (and along with an undergraduate’s GPA) makes up two of the most significant aspects of a law school application that an admissions committee initially notes. These numbers are then weighed against the entire pool of applicants.
Law schools require applicants to take the LSAT by the December preceding the fall semester that a prospective student seeks to attend a law program. Preregistration is required, and the test is only offered four times a year – in February, June, October, and December. Additional information needed to complete a law school application includes letters of recommendation and biographical information; in addition to satisfying specific school requirements and requests.
In order to assume a position as an attorney, earning a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is a requirement. Most judges working on the local, state or federal level are also expected to have a law degree education.
Obtaining a law degree usually takes seven years of full-time study after graduating from high school, which includes four years of undergraduate study, and three years of law school. During their studies, law students complete coursework that touches upon constitutional law, property law, civil procedure, contracts, and writing legal documents. Upon completion of an accredited law program, graduates qualify to practice law after successfully passing the licensure examination for law, which is referred to as a state’s written bar examination.
Law programs have specific requirements that vary from school to school before a student earns a J.D., which typically include fulfilling a minimum number of class hours per academic period; and taking mandatory first-year courses, such as criminal law and civil procedure. Additionally, students in all states must pass a course on Professional Responsibility before receiving a J.D. degree. To become a certified lawyer, students must also satisfy state requirements before sitting to take the bar exam, which include submitting character references; passing criminal background checks; and completing the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam).
With a professional doctorate degree, new lawyers are often hired to work in private and corporate legal offices, or find employment with government agencies on the local, state and federal level. The attorneys generally start out as associates, working with more seasoned lawyers. With several years of experience, some lawyers become a partner or partial owner of a firm. In time, others opt to provide legal services in an office of their own, or seek a position in the legal department of a large corporation or company.
According to the BLS, lawyers earned a median salary of $113,530 in 2012, and received the highest average incomes when working for industries such as: Management of Companies and Enterprises ($164,270); Securities and Commodities Exchanges ($188,430); and Offices of Physicians ($235,020). Because of this, specializing in a particular field and returning to school to receive an educational background related to a specific area of law (like immigration law, civil rights law, environmental law, or intellectual property law) qualifies professionals to pursue a greater range of employment opportunities.
The BLS projects the number of job openings for lawyers to grow 10 percent from 2012 to 2022. New graduates face strong competition for these positions as the number of law school graduates is higher than positions available at law firms.
Some lawyers opt for a career in academia, and may become full-time law school professors and administrators within a university law department. Others provide negotiation and conflict resolution services as mediators; start a consulting business; and also enter politics.
A small number of experienced lawyers earn nominations or are elected to judgeships, overseeing legal proceedings within a courtroom; conducting pretrial hearings; resolving corporate disputes; guiding business negotiations; and issuing legal decisions in trial cases.
Lawyers with aspirations to become a judge accumulate years of experience, sharpen their skills and build a solid reputation through practice, which places them in a better position to seek a judgeship. Nearly every new position for a judge is authorized and approved by legislature; candidates apply for judgeships through a state judicial nominating committee, or receive a recommendation by a senator or other politician. The application process is lengthy, and depending on the jurisdiction, new judges are either elected or appointed to an open position.
Once elected or appointed, judges must complete various introductory training programs and/or seminars before they are eligible to practice as a judge. During this time, trainees often participate in court trials and analyze legal publications.
To continue holding a judgeship, more than 50 percent of all U.S. states require judges to fulfill general and continuing education requirements, such as taking courses while serving on the bench. It can take a judge a few days to three weeks to maintain their credentials, and they are required to stay in line with the latest shifts in law.
Legal professionals that hold a J.D. can also return to law school to pursue a graduate course of study which leads to a Master of Laws or LL.M., which is an internationally recognized postgraduate law degree that typically takes one year to complete. Those who pursue an LL.M. are usually interested in gaining expertise in a specialized field of law, such as international law or tax law. The LL.M. degree increases the value and attractiveness of a job candidate since they possess advanced legal training, and are qualified to work outside of the United States.
Students who pursue an LL.M. program with a focus on research also gain specialized experience, and often produce a published piece, which also helps boost a professional’s resume. Additionally, research conducted during an LL.M. degree program also provides an entryway into Ph.D. work, where graduates may opt to teach at a college or university.
A degree program to earn a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) or Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) is offered by some law schools, and is geared towards students who have an interest in studying law yet do not want to pursue a career as a lawyer. For example, a great number of law librarians possess either a graduate degree in library and information science, or a M.L.S. About one-third of all law librarians also possess a law degree from a school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). According to the American Association for Law Libraries, fewer than 20 percent of law librarian positions require applicants to have both a law degree and a master’s degree; most law librarian positions require an M.L.S. or its equivalent.
A master’s degree program in legal studies typically lasts one academic year, and offers a curriculum similar to what a first-year J.D. student encounters. The coursework touches upon basic law topics such as constitutional law, contracts, civil procedure, and torts. It is also not uncommon to see individuals who hold a Ph.D. in a law-related discipline enter a M.S.L. program to further their knowledge and expertise in the field. Additionally, those with a master’s degree in legal studies may choose to earn a Ph.D. in order to teach at a college or university.
To further the expertise and standing of a law professional, the Doctorate of Philosophy in Law is the highest educational achievement of an individual’s legal career. Depending on the program and previous qualifications and experience, it can take up to six years of full-time coursework before a student earns his or her doctorate degree.
Eligible applicants to a doctorate program must possess a law degree and have experience practicing law. They must also be able to demonstrate an understanding of the basic and advanced concepts of the law that often come with years of experience.
A law professional typically pursues one of two doctoral degree programs:
The road towards obtaining a doctoral degree in law is challenging and lengthy. According to the Princeton Review, the focus of the final three years of a Ph.D. program alone is writing the dissertation and preparing for oral examinations. Each year, Ph.D. candidates fail to meet requirements of their program, and are asked to vacate their spot. Others abandon their studies due to burnout. However, those who complete the requirements and earn a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law are on their way to finding a tenure-track position at a college or research university upon graduation, or pursuing a career outside of academia.
In conclusion, pursuing an education to enter a legal profession leads to a multitude of career options that provide intellectual challenges in a field that is both personally and financially rewarding. With an associate degree, individuals qualify to assist lawyers and assume administrative tasks within a law office or firm. A law degree qualifies a graduate to practice as an attorney or lawyer, and with years of experience and an appointment, can assume the role of a judge. Advanced degrees, such as a master’s or Ph.D., widen job prospects for law professionals, which include working on an international level or teaching at a school.
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