what to do with law degree other than lawyer

by Dr. Schuyler Hilpert III 10 min read

A law degree, or Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor

The Juris Doctor degree or Doctor of Law degree (J.D.), also known as the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (D.Jur. or DJur), is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law. The degree is earned by completing law school in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other com…

(JD), is extremely versatile. For those who choose to get a law degree but do not want to take the bar exam and become a lawyer, there are endless career paths available. If you want to work in the legal field you could become a law professor, a legal writer, or a mediator.

Here are some J.D. preferred careers to consider:
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) ...
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO) ...
  • Human Resource Managers. ...
  • Insurance Adjuster. ...
  • Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (Mediator) ...
  • Tax Attorney. ...
  • Business Development Professionals. ...
  • Compliance Careers.

Full Answer

What careers can you get with a law degree?

If you want to work in the legal field you could become a law professor, a legal writer, or a mediator. Surprisingly, magistrate judges in most jurisdictions do not need to be lawyers; a JD degree is all that is required. Compliance is another popular area for those with a JD degree. A compliance officer or analyst ensures that a company complies with federal and state laws …

What else you can do with a law degree?

Mar 23, 2018 · What Can I Do With a Law Degree? 10 Alternative Careers. Alternative Careers With a Law Degree. The Civil Service Fast Stream. Tax …

What can you do with a law degree besides law?

Aug 11, 2020 · So if you’re wondering what else you can do with your law degree other than be a lawyer, I want you to know up front that there are lots of options for you. Often when lawyers start exploring their career options, they want to hew as closely as possible to an actual legal job, even if it’s technically non-practicing, because they’re afraid of wasting the time and money …

What do you need to do to get into law school?

Feb 22, 2021 · Here are 16 alternative jobs for lawyers, their national average salaries and primary duties: 1. Paralegal. National average salary: $51,455 per year. Primary duties: Paralegals use their knowledge of the law to perform various legal tasks for lawyers. Employed by lawyers, corporations or other entities, paralegals draft legal documents, do legal research and attend …

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What can you do with a law degree outside of law?

You can work as a law teacher, work as an instructor in a legal trainee program, become a career advisor within a law school, work in an administrative office of a law school, write for magazines and journals focusing on legal matters, go into recruitment and work as a headhunter for finding candidates for jobs in the ...Aug 13, 2021

What jobs are similar to lawyers?

Paralegals and Legal AssistantsArbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsJudges and Hearing OfficersPostsecondary TeachersLawyer/Similar professions

What is the best career in law?

These are some of the most highly compensated legal jobs.Trial Lawyers. Trial lawyers are among the highest paid legal professionals in the world. ... Intellectual Property Lawyers. ... Tax Attorneys. ... Real Estate Attorneys. ... Judges. ... Members of Congress. ... Law School Professor. ... Litigation Support Director.More items...•Dec 21, 2018

What type of law pays the most?

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:Medical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.Dec 18, 2020

What is a jury consultant?

Jury Consultant. Lawyers rely on consultants to select a jury for high-stakes cases and to help them evaluate human behavior and predict juror behavior. Jury consultants often have a background in sociology or the like. This job does not require a law degree, but it is helpful.

What is the importance of law school?

Law school is all about building character and gaining a trove of life skills. Life skills that come in handy for law school graduates seeking alternative careers to a becoming a lawyer. The percentage of law students who end up working as lawyers has fluctuated significantly in the past decade. Around forty percent of law graduates do not practice ...

What is the job of an arbitrator?

If your favorite aspect of learning law was mediating conflict between two parties, this is the path for you. Acting as an informal judge, an arbitrator helps move a case along before it goes to trial. A Juris Doctor degree is not required, but this job is often held by someone with a law degree.

What is compliance specialist?

Charged with ensuring that a company is following all policies and standards, a compliance specialist understands the legal ins and outs of a variety of different departments within a business. A graduate who has earned a bachelor degree in legal studies or a Juris Doctor, and has an eye for detail are both in the right place.

What are the skills you gained during your legal education?

Writing, negotiating and public speaking are valuable, but it’s not only the skills you gained during your legal education that will help you in both the legal and general workforce — it’s the character traits you built. Committing yourself to your education can be a challenge and if your goal is to earn an advanced degree, especially a Juris Doctor (JD), than the word “challenge” is an understatement. School (especially law school) is a place where one learns resilience and to push past perceived limits. It’s a place where you become you.

What are some alternatives to becoming a lawyer?

10 Alternatives to Becoming a Lawyer: The Flexibility of a Legal Education. What does one learn in law school? Yes, law, okay. But the principles of law are only the tip of the legal iceberg. Law school is all about building character and gaining a trove of life skills. Life skills that come in handy for law school graduates seeking alternative ...

What is a legal marketer?

Responsible for client relations, reputation management, and much more, a legal marketer is the marketing expert in a firm with extensive knowledge about the services they are promoting. Having a JD is not essential, but it helps.

What do recruiters look for in a law degree?

Recruiters look for an attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure and an ability to think critically. These are all qualities that are developed during a law degree.

What is a loss adjuster?

A loss adjuster is a key example of an insurance role available to law graduates. Loss adjusters are used by insurance companies to verify insurance claims. This involves visiting crime scenes and sites where accidents have taken place, investigating claims, gathering information, evaluating damage and conducting interviews with policyholders.

What is a licensed conveyancer?

A licensed conveyancer is a property law specialist who works on behalf of clients buying or seller property. They are ultimately responsible for the legal matters, administration, finance and queries involved in a property transaction.

What can I do with a law degree?

Many law graduates go on to pursue a career in politics, either as an elected official or as a member of their support team. This can involve policy development, speech writing, PR and a range of other activities.

What is human resources officer?

As a human resources officer, you develop, advise on and implement policies relating to the effective use of staff in an organisation. This can include employee recruitment, training and development, the provision of compensation and benefits, the implementation of disciplinary procedures and conflict resolution.

What is the job of a chartered accountant?

Chartered Accountant. As a chartered accountant, you’ll provide advice, audit records and provide information about financial records. This role therefore requires a grasp of legal concepts as well as maths and so a law degree can prove handy.

What is a compliance officer?

A compliance officer is responsible for a company’s financial conduct and ultimately ensuring that it complies with the relevant regulations and its reporting obligations. Compliance work is available at a range of different finance organisations and a legal background is definitely a plus!

What to know if you are in Biglaw?

Things you need to know if you’re exploring alternative careers for lawyers: If you’re in Biglaw, you’re not a failure because you’re human (even though Biglaw makes you feel that way ). If you’re trying to figure out what else you can do with your J.D., don’t rely on prestige ( it’s a liar ).

Is being a lawyer stressful?

It’s no secret that being a lawyer is one of the most stressful jobs that you can have. There are task forces, books, and a multitude of articles written about lawyer stress and burnout.

Is the legal profession stressful?

It’s no secret that law is a stressful profession. Many lawyers struggle with anxiety, and the legal profession’s mental health stats are grim. Especially if you have a clinical mental health issue (and many lawyers do, and don’t even realize it ), the legal profession is practically designed to exacerbate anxiety.

Is a lawyer good at separating their identity from their job?

Lawyers are not good at separating their identity from their job. I don’t know about you, but when I was working as a litigator, I felt like I had no time to be anything but a lawyer. There just wasn’t much time for anything else. That’s a pretty suffocating feeling when your job makes you miserable.

What is the job of a realtor?

Primary duties: A realtor is a licensed real estate salesperson who is a member of the National Association of Realtors. Realtors guide their clients through the transaction process of buying real estate. They also answer client questions, serve as a point of communication between buyers and sellers and keep the transaction process moving along.

What are the primary duties of an investigator?

Primary duties: An investigator or detective collects evidence and information regarding a crime. They have many responsibilities, including speaking to witnesses, searching databases and arresting criminals. They have strong attention to detail and use their analytical skills to help them solve a variety of cases. 3.

What to do if you have been through law school?

Having been through law school and possibly some form of employment, you may have valuable contacts in your network. Use them to your advantage and ask if anyone knows of nonlegal opportunities that may interest you. Even if your connections are in the legal industry, they may introduce you to employers in other fields.

What are the duties of a paralegal?

Primary duties: Paralegals use their knowledge of the law to perform various legal tasks for lawyers. Employed by lawyers, corporations or other entities, paralegals draft legal documents, do legal research and attend client interviews. They also conduct investigations, though they don't represent clients in court as a lawyer does.

What are the duties of a financial analyst?

Primary duties: Financial analysts perform various duties related to the analysis of a company or organization's finances. They identify financial trends, offer advice to the management team, reconcile transactions and maintain a company's database.

What is the role of a CEO?

Primary duties: Chief executive officers (CEOs ) are the highest-ranking officer or position in an organization. They manage and oversee a company or organization in its entirety. CEOs make a variety of corporate decisions, manage a company's operations, communicate on behalf of the company to various parties including the public and shareholders, evaluate the performance of other executive leaders and create strategic goals.

What is the primary job of a management consultant?

Primary duties: Management consultants are working professionals trained to solve complex issues. They develop strategies to assist their clients in maintaining good financial and operational health. They have various responsibilities that include analyzing financial data, meeting with clients, evaluating an organization's management staff and analyzing an organization's business structure.

What is PTI in law?

Press Trust of India (PTI) has provision to provide an appointment to Law graduates in their agency. A Lawyer can be an expert in Political and Crime Journalism as his/her understanding of Indian Constitutional Laws and the Indian Penal Code can be better than people from the journalism background.

Why do businesses need law?

Businesses need Law people for their good analytical, leadership, and proactive nature. Law graduates in corporate are considered as best advisors for policy-making of business firms. Foreign business firms prefer Indian Law graduates to maintain a good legal relationship with the country. For example, many graduates from the National Law School of Bangalore get placed in foreign law firms with a handsome pay scale. If one has the nose for administrative, statistical subjects and abstract subjects such as future planning and prediction, being a corporate policy analyst after Law graduation can earn him/her a good fortune.

What is legal outsourcing?

When a Law firm outsources its services to a law firm outside, the process is known as Legal Outsourcing. This process is relevant for Law firms operating abroad. It obtains help from a legal firm from that respective country. Legal Outsourcing is a new concept and its possibilities are pretty unexplored right now. But this is flourishing at a notable rate.

What languages does the legislative council hire?

The legislative council also hires law people who have proficiency in any of the official languages (Such as Assamese, Bengali, Odia, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Urdu) in official languages wing of the department.

What is a law degree?

Well, don't worry as we have answers to your questions! Conventionally, a Law degree is meant for a person who wishes to become a Solicitor or Barrister, but the good news is that there are many career options in Law other than the legal profession that an individual can consider post-completion of his/her Law programme.

Do lawyers make good entrepreneurs?

But contrary to this saying, lawyers could actually make good entrepreneurs. More than three hundred companies abroad and in India were founded or headed by a Law graduate.

Can law graduates join the Indian army?

There is a possibility to serve your country under the Indian army for law graduates. Law graduates who have a minimum percentile of 55% in their respective stream can apply to join the Indian army .

Why do people become attorneys?

People generally become attorneys because they are motivated, intelligent and have great work ethics.

What is legal editor?

A legal editor has the same basic duties as an editor, but focuses on editing and proofreading mostly for legal publications. If you have a fine sense of detail, and a canny sense of what writing is quality and worth pursuing, consider using your background in law to be a legal editor. 7. Legal Recruiter:

What is the role of a law librarian?

Though law libraries are becoming less common in firms, the role of the law librarian is only intensifying .

What is a temporary judge?

The private judge, or temporary judge, is an attorney appointed to those involved, with Court consent. He or she has the same responsibility as a courthouse judge, and must know and follow the judicial code of ethics. Such a judge may offer binding input or simply advise, depending on how the appointment is drawn.

Do attorneys work for clients?

Most attorneys (and law firms) will work for any client with the money to pay. While some attorneys will certainly draw the line at defending rapists, child molesters, or murderers, they will happily defend corporations, white collar criminals and other evildoers all day.

Do lawyers become stars?

Most of these people will never become stars, and the same thing occurs with practicing law. The majority of attorneys work in the smallest law firms, for the government, and in other organizations without realizing the careers they thought they would achieve when they started practicing law.

Is there too much competition for attorneys?

There is so much competition, in fact, that for most attorneys, it often makes a lot of sense to choose an alternative legal or non-legal career.

Why are sports and entertainment agencies always looking for law school graduates to become agents?

Sports and entertainment agencies are always looking for law school graduates to become agents because they know those grads are motivated, intelligent, and can negotiate deals. For more non-legal job ideas, see: 60 Nontraditional Job You Can Do with a Law Degree.

What are some jobs that can be done with a law degree?

These positions include arbitrator, law professor, law school career counselor, and legal recruiter.

Who is the CEO of BCG?

Harrison Barnes, the CEO of BCG Attorney Search, has seen it all when it comes to job searching. By running one of the top legal placement agencies, Barnes has found jobs for thousands of attorneys across the country, and he has helped others with JDs find their paths, even if that didn’t include being a lawyer.

What is the role of CFO?

The CFO’s team provides financial projections and accounting services to enable the company to make informed and strategic decisions moving forward. And in smaller companies, the CFO oversees many administrative functions, like Legal, HR and Administration.

What is the job of VP of Biz Dev?

The main job of the VP of Biz Dev is to build a company’s market position by identifying, developing, defining, negotiating, and closing business deals, relationships, partnerships and opportunities. It’s like sales, but even more strategic and aligns with a company’s long term objectives.

What is corporate trainer?

Corporate trainers are really just teachers and must be able to speak in front of a crowd, produce and understand training materials, work closely with individuals and evaluate how well employees have learned.

What is a recruiter?

Recruiters establish a company’s recruiting requirements, create and maintain applicant source channels, “herd the cats”, manage all logistics of the hiring process and understand all legal and compliance requirements.

Do you need to be a number cruncher to be a CFO?

You don’t need to be a number cruncher to be a CFO (that’s what Bookkeepers and Controllers are for). In companies big and small, the CFO is a true partner to the CEO and other executives. The CFO’s main mandate is to develop and maintain the financial well-being of the company.

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Want to Leave The Law? 17 Alternative Careers For Lawyers

  • Alternative career paths for lawyers can be anything from becoming a law professor to starting your own business. Here are ten alternative careers for lawyers that you may want to consider:
See more on dandylaw.com

What If You Want to Stay in The Law But Not in Active Law Practice?

  • There are many other career paths available to you if you want to stay in the law but not practice as a lawyer. Here are some options to consider:
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Emerging Fields of Law and Legal Practice

  • There are many new and emerging fields of law that you may want to consider. Here are some options to consider:
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Risks and Challenges That Come with Change in Career

  • While these alternative careers for lawyers may be a great fit for some, they may not be the right choice for everyone. There are many risks and challenges that come with change in career. Here are a few things to consider before making a switch:
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The Best Questions to Ask When Facing Fear and Changing Careers

  • If you are considering making a career change, it is normal to feel scared and uncertain. Here are a few questions that can help you make the decision:
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Conclusion

  • Making a career change is a big decision. There are many risks and challenges involved. However, if you are unhappy with your current career, these alternative careers for lawyers may be the perfect fit for you. So, what are you waiting for? Start exploring your options today.
See more on dandylaw.com