Once you complete your legal education it is time to head out into the real world by getting a job! When your job hunt begins always utilize the career center of your law school or undergraduate university as well as personal contacts.
Lawyers have many options when it comes to employers:
Industries
Small Businesses
Government Agencies
International Organizations
Public Interest Groups
Legal Aid Offices
Universities
Self-Employed
Employment Breakdown of American Lawyers:
Private Practice – 72.9%
Government Agencies – 8.2%
Private Industries/Associations – 9.5%
Legal Aid/Public Defenders – 1.1%
Legal Educators – 1%
Retired/Inactive – 4.6%
(Estimates according to LSAC)
Areas of Legal Specialization:
- Corporate Law – help clients conduct business affairs efficiently and legally.
- Securities Law – involved with forming, organization and financing a corporation.
- Criminal Law – represent clients accused of crimes.
- Environmental and Natural Resources Law – working for government agencies to address environmental issues; represent corporations or public interest groups concerned about the environment.
- Family and Juvenile Law – solve problems among family members and in creating or dissolving personal relationships like adoptions or divorces.
- Health Law – work for private firm or government agency and dealing with health issues.
- Intellectual Property Law – deal with the protection of inventor rights, author rights and business rights.
- International Law – deal with the increasing interdependence of nations and economies.
- Tax Law – work with the constantly changing tax codes on every level; work with or for the Internal Revenue Service.
- Civil Rights- concerned with the balance of government power and individual liberties.
FYI: Houston, Dallas and Austin landed on the list for the top 20 cities reporting legal employment according to LSAC. Houston came in at #6, reporting 681 jobs. Dallas was #11 with 481 jobs and Austin was listed as #19 reporting 265 jobs. By the way, New York City was reported 3,339 jobs making it #1.
