Alternative Career Fields to Law
So what can you usefully do with a law degree (besides practice law)? The options are many and varied. Lawyers have successfully found positions in all sorts of related fields.
Here are a few of the most common:
1} Banking and finance
If you have experience in securities, trusts and estates, tax or banking law, you can parlay that into a career in the banking and finance industry. Positions include: risk manager, estate planning advisor, trust officer, financial planner, commercial loans officer and mutual fund administrator.
2} Conflict resolution
Arbitration, mediation and negotiation are growing fields employing individuals with legal backgrounds as arbitrators and mediators. Labor unions, hospitals, school associations, universities and government agencies all hire professionals with strong communication and dispute resolution skills. Note that mediation positions may not be full-time – mediators tend to be retained on a contract basis to assist with a specific dispute. Former practitioners also participate in the training of alternative dispute resolution services.
3} Detective/ Investigator
A detective is a law enforcement professional trained to investigate and solve crimes. Detectives work to gather evidence, interview witnesses and suspects, analyze information, and piece together the details of criminal cases. They play a pivotal role in solving complex cases and are often responsible for bringing criminals to justice by building strong cases for prosecution. Detectives can be found in various law enforcement agencies, including local police departments, state agencies, and federal organizations, depending on the nature and scope of the cases they handle.
4} Education and academic administration
How about a career in legal education or academic administration? Opportunities exist to teach in paralegal colleges and continuing legal education societies, without requiring a Masters degree in law. Legal knowledge is also useful in non-teaching positions at universities, such as a student complaints officer, disability services coordinator or student affairs director. Law schools, in particular, welcome legally-trained individuals to work in admissions, alumni relations, career services and law libraries.
5} Government and politics
The federal and provincial governments often hire lawyers as policy analysts to gather and research information, analyze issues in written reports and coordinate the development of strategic policy. Matters involving policy related issues range from health and transportation to education and the environment. Politics is another popular field for lawyers. Positions include speech writer, political fundraiser, campaign manager, lobbyist or even political candidate.
6} Human resources
Companies need talented professionals to recruit new people and oversee their staff. You can work as a hiring coordinator, human resources administrator or training manager. And don’t forget working within the legal profession as a non-lawyer – inside knowledge of the legal industry makes you well suited for a job as a law firm administrator, head of associate recruiting, marketing director or professional development manager.
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7} Lecturer
Lecturers are subject matter experts who are employed by universities and higher education establishments to perform teaching, research and administrative functions.
8} Legal consulting
Some lawyers consult to law firms in law office management, marketing and client development. If you’re tech-savvy, you can put your knowledge about legal software to work as an information technology consultant. With a nursing background, you can work as a legal nurse consultant, reviewing medical records in medical malpractice and personal injury cases, providing advice to the lawyers involved and acting as an expert witness.
9} Legal writing, editing and publishing
A lawyer’s research and writing skills are particularly useful. Several lawyers work as freelance legal writers and editors – contributing articles for legal publications, writing do-it-yourself law books and researching/writing booklets on legal topics like divorce and landlord/tenancy matters for poverty law groups and government-funded organizations. Other one-time lawyers are now legal or business columnists for newspapers and magazines. Still others write content for law firm websites or are full-time editors for bar association newsletters and law, business or accounting publications.
10} Politician
A politician is an individual who is professionally involved in politics, usually as a holder of an elected or appointed office.
CONCLUSION
In Conclusion, to lawyers and law students, not practicing law should not make you feel less of yourself. There are so many opportunities out there that can fetch you cool cash, so go out there and find one.
There are also many other careers that are not listed here, so you can drop them in the comment section.
Stay tuned!!
Don’t forget to drop your comment in the comment section.
