For someone who is passionate about law, the idea of working as anything but an attorney may seem odd. But there are many students with a strong interest in law that may have other career ambitions as well. While a lawyer is the typical career path for someone in the field, legal studies can also help you advance in a variety of other industries as well.
When you earn a degree in any field, you are not obligated to practice any line of work. Someone can attend medical school, earn their MD, and decide not to be a physician. Similarly, you can complete your law school degree without deciding to take the bar exam and earn a legal license in your state. So, why would you want to earn a graduate degree in law if you aren’t interested in being a lawyer?
Master’s Degrees in Legal Studies
You can apply for a graduate law degree and go on to further your career and pursue jobs in academia, education, administration, government, and criminal justice. While many people may earn an LLM and go on to pursue jobs in non-legal sectors. You will have to align your personal interests with your ideal work environment to decide whether a graduate degree in law is really worth it for you.
Is a Master’s Degree in Legal Studies Worth It?
People who hold master’s degrees can earn more than those who don’t. Lawyers or people who are qualified to administer legal counsel are some of the highest earners in America. You should be able to find positions offering at least six-figure base salaries after graduation; having additional experience will qualify you for even more positions.
While you may be enticed to earn your degree that can increase your earning potential, it does come at a cost. Paying tuition, however, doesn’t need to be a major source of stress. You can take out a private student loan to pay for the cost of your graduate law degree, which puts you in a much more flexible position after you complete your studies. Regardless of what you do for a living, you will be able to balance the cost of your loan payments with your income level.
Non-Legal Careers with a Law Degree
Some alternative careers you may decide to explore include a professor, PR manager, professional mediator, and financial advisor. You could also look into business coaching, marketing, quality assurance and compliance and director positions. Your knowledge of legal processes will prepare you to handle a variety of managerial tasks. The research, communication and negotiation skills you build throughout the course of your program will make you an excellent candidate for positions in politics, government and administrative education.
Before settling on a particular career path, it’s helpful to narrow your interests down to a particular sector. If you are not interested in litigation, you may consider paths in education, politics, business administration, marketing and finances. Some graduates even decide to apply themselves as entrepreneurs or coaches, which allows them to build their own business from the ground up and create their own careers.