You have a legal degree: What now?
While most who enter law school may do so with a goal of becoming a criminal, defense or corporate attorney, the reality is that graduates with a legal background have several options when they graduate. There are both public and private job options for graduates with a legal background. Deciding what to do with a law background is largely a matter of personal preference.
When graduating with a legal background, there are several private sector job options that may be available. Graduates should decide upon graduation whether they prefer working as a lawyer serving as a defense lawyer, a criminal lawyer or a corporate lawyer. Even these fields offer several options for graduates including:
Many non-profit boards hire attorneys in order to ensure that they are able to fill non-attorney roles within the organization. Some of these roles include management where an attorney may help manage the day-to-day operations of the non-profit. The roles that may be filled include fundraising managers, account managers or management of internal teams.
The financial sector of the United States economy often hires those with a legal background to serve in a number of different capacities. Jobs with hedge funds, venture capital funds and private equity firms are often available for those with a legal background who also have a strong financial background. These jobs are often high-visibility and may involve account management, review of contracts and fund managers.
Some graduates with a legal background may find that they have consulting options open to them. These jobs are often with companies who do not require a legal staff but instead prefer to have someone available on an on-call, as-needed basis. These consulting careers can be very lucrative, especially for those who have business qualifications and training.
While people may complain about government jobs, there are numerous public sector job options for graduates with a legal background. While most people think immediately of public defenders when they consider public sector legal job options, there are many other careers available for those with a legal background.
Nearly every state and the District of Columbia has anattorney general. In addition, there are federal offices that perform similar roles. This can be a great public sector job option for graduates with a legal background.
For those who are not interested in actually serving as an attorney, there may be options within the court system for graduates with a legal background. Those who did not graduate with a full law degree may elect to become court reporters, stenographers or serve advocates or mediators. Those who have graduated with a full law degree may find that they wish to serve as a judge which may require additional training.
There are a wide range of job options for graduates with a legal background that range from consulting to full partner in a legal firm. While finding a job in this highly-competitive field may be challenging, legal graduates also have access to numerouslegal job databasesand opportunities that may be beneficial to them during their job search.
