Career Paths for Law Students: Where You Can Go

University law school graduate on graduation day. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

No doubt, you labored admirably to acquire your law degree. Having graduated from law school, you may have decided that practicing law is the one and only career option. The good news is that your law degree can be put to good use securing some incredibly, diverse careers that are outside of the law. Given today’s economy and the competition within the legal industry, there’s an entire economy of alternative career opportunities that span a vast array of industries. The skills you’ve developed are marketable.

You may be able to leverage your law degree in the following fields:

• Journalism – There are numerous broadcast journalists, television personalities and reporters that studied law before they started their career. The following names might sound familiar: Star Jones, Jeff Greenfield and Geraldo Rivera. It’s their ability to analyze information and communicate on a high level that serves them well.
• Real Estate – Law school is a place where students can learn a great deal about restructuring financial transactions and maximizing monetary returns, etc. Learning tax efficiency was a feather in their cap.
• Entrepreneurship – For many law graduates, law school is the perfect platform to learn how to build entrepreneurial businesses. Amazing ideas can materialize.
• The Arts – Authors like John Grisham, have leveraged their extensive knowledge of the law to augment their literary success. Some law school graduates have used their law school experience to become successful television writers and film producers.
• Managing Nonprofits – Nonprofits are often a magnet for legal minds who hold senior positions within these organizations. They’ve leveraged their leadership and problem-solving skills from their experience in law school and life.

There are, of course, other areas that are very close to and even synonymous with the legal field.

1. Professional Counseling

Counselors, attending to students and law graduates, have an inside track associated with the stress involved from pursuing a law degree.

2. Conflict Resolution and Negotiation

While the field doesn’t require a law degree, legal knowledge can be most helpful; especially during mediation processes.

3. Politics and Government

There’s an endless list of law school graduates who went on to hold high offices in both the government and private sectors. Today, there may be a decline in lawyers entering politics.

4. Banking and Finance

The field of finance is always an option. Areas such as taxes, estates, and small business can be perfect destinations for those with a law degree.

Then, there’s always the legal field itself which is extremely diverse. As a note, personal injury lawyers have needed skills and expertise. Injury compensation is a robust field, from personal injury to the field of sports.

This post comes from Carter Capner in Brisbane. If you’d like to know more about personal injury law, head to their website and read their blog posts which cover all aspects of personal injury and the legalities of it.