What You Can Do With a Law Degree

(Besides Being an Attorney)

A law degree provides a number of great career options in addition to working as a lawyer. Some jobs, which require or benefit from a J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree include:

Agents

Since lawyers are trained in contract negotiation and advocating for clients’ best interests, many agents for athletes, musicians, actors/actresses, authors, etc.

CEO/COO

Many prominent business leaders come from a legal background. With so many legal concerns involved in operating a business, having a J.D. is a definite advantage for anyone managing a company.

CFO

A Chief Financial Officer deals with maintaining a company’s finances – not necessarily the accounting aspect but dealing with overall financial strategy. Attention to detail and logical reasoning are essential, skills common to lawyers.

Dispute Resolution

Lawyers can work in negotiation and conflict resolution, or even mediation, without actually entering the courtroom.

Entrepreneur

Lawyers are trained to avoid and resolve issues related to business growth, so those who study corporate law are often drawn to entrepreneurial endeavors. This can transition into a CEO/COO position.

Politician

Many Presidents (like Barack Obama), and other politicians hold law degrees, and many have experience working as attorneys.

Professor

After years of education, J.D. graduates have a lot of knowledge. Rather than applying this in the courtroom, many instead turn to the classroom and educate the next generation of legal thinkers.

Recruiter/Analyst

Lawyers need to be able to examine people, problems, cases, etc. and find reasonable solutions, which can be explained to others. Lawyers can serve as business consultants, legal recruiters, and even television analysts.

Writer

Lawyers need to know how to write clearly and succinctly, which is why many J.D. degree holders find success as authors, journalists, technical writers, and content writers.