Alternative Legal Careers

1. 800. 973.1177

CAREER COUNSELOR’S CORNER

Alternative Legal Careers [Danielle D. Hansen] So you went through three years of law school only to eventually decide that you don’t want to practice law? No problem. Your J.D. offers you a plethora of other opportunities that don’t involve typical attorney work.

no, and we’ll get to that.

possess. Your job is to find such employers.

let’s be honest and admit that it might have

Your family and friends may not (from experi-

So what can you do with your hard-earned

been because of the inherent financial

ence, I could say will not with some cer-

law degree, besides practice law?

rewards that a J.D. affords us. For some of

tainty) understand your lack of interest in a

us, however, about midway through our third

traditional legal career. They think you go to

year we realized that perhaps we might not

law school to become a practicing attorney.

ers, you can successfully enter any career

have it in us to spend our days and nights

Period. You will not hear the end of that argu-

field. The options are only limited by your

working our way towards becoming part-

ment. This can cause quite a bit of stress and

imagination. We’ll examine a few of the more

ner. It can be too daunting and far too time

confusion, and you may just want to give up

typical positions attorneys seek here.

consuming.

and follow the pack, becoming a traditional

We all began law school with a love of the law -- or at least a curiosity about it. Okay,

legal professional.

Since a law degree is so valuable to employ-

Academic Administration: There are currently over 3,500 colleges and

So, the prospects of other careers became more appealing. Ah, but what to do with that

Fortunately, a legal education is very valu-

universities in the United States. Many retain

precious J.D. you worked so hard (and paid

able, and it can provide attorneys with the

in-house counsel, but there are also many

so much) for? You certainly can’t discard it,

opportunity to work in almost any career

other careers in academic administration

but you also know that you don’t have the

field. Law school provides an intense training

which could put your legal skills to use.

heart for traditional “lawyer” jobs. We’re

ground where students are given invaluable

fortunate to be in a job market now where

tools that would be assets to any employer in

Undergraduate institutions are required to

attorneys have plenty of career options in

any career.

follow confusing and intertwining state and federal regulations. In this atmosphere, legal

jobs that don’t necessarily call for them to Law school stresses critical, analytical, and

degrees are not only practical, but often

logical thinking and writing skills, as well

essential. Some academic administration

You can still use your legal knowledge and

as impartiality and the ability to see issues

options include: Affirmative Action / EEO

expertise to your employment advantage.

from all angles and points of view. You were

Officer, Grants and Contracts Specialist,

Moreover, you can combine that experience

also taught how to survive and thrive in an

Disability Services Coordinator, Trust Of-

with some of your most passionate interests

intensely competitive and stressful atmo-

ficer, Licensing Director, Legislative Affairs

and find a job you truly enjoy. Such alterna-

sphere. You may take for granted the basic

Specialist.

tive legal careers are becoming more and

skill set learned in law school, but these

more prevalent.

skills are not as common in the workforce

In these positions, you won’t be asked to

among non-attorneys as you may think.

practice law necessarily - which is your goal

practice law.

Obstacles:

in pursuing an alternative career in the first So, no, those three long, hard years of your

place - but your legal background would

Beginning an alternative legal career is

life were not “wasted” in law school simply

prove extremely helpful. When it’s time for

difficult because you are straying from the

because you do not want to take the tradi-

you to confer with the general counsel, you’ll

traditional path. The largest hurdle you may

tional path. If anything, they have increased

be able to communicate with him or her far

face is trying to figure out how to use your

your marketability.

more easily than a non-attorney could.

Employers want the knowledge and skills you

If you loved the law school atmosphere, then,

degree. You may wonder, “Did I waste three years of my life in law school?” The answer is

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1.800. 973. 1177

CAREER COUNSELOR’S CORNER

specifically, a position in law school admin-

Attorneys have always led in the field of im-

istration might be your best choice. Most law

migration. It’s wrought with confusing legal

school administrators are legal graduates.

issues that only someone with a lawyer’s

Most likely the woman who helped you sift

training and with diligence to the specialty

through those confusing financial aid applica-

could fully understand.

tions and the man who helped you decide what courses to take were attorneys who simply

Since the 9/11 attacks, this area has under-

chose a career in academic support.

gone vast legal changes. With the enactment of The Homeland Security Act in December

Some law school academic administration op-

2002, the former United States Immigration

tions include: Career Counselor, Financial Aid

and Naturalization Service (INS) has been

Administrator, Student Affairs Director, Direc-

reborn as the Bureau of Citizenship and

tor of Alumni Affairs, Director of Admissions,

Immigration Services (BCIS), a sub-depart-

Clinical Programs Supervisors, Academic

ment of the newly created Homeland Security

Compliance, Research Directors, Computer

Department. With these drastic changes, the

Consultant, and Director of Marketing, to

entire U.S. immigration system is adapting

name a few.

as well. Individuals with legal backgrounds are desperately needed to grapple with and

Wouldn’t it have been great to have a guide

administer the new law. It’s a career where

helping you through your One-L year? More

heavy research is involved, and if you enjoy

and more law schools are providing in-depth

history, immigration, and administration, then

counseling, and who better to perform such

this field may prove to be a perfect fit.

work than someone like you who’s been through it?

Positions in the immigration field can be found in corporate environments, as well as in state

Banking and Finance:

and federal government.

The banking and finance industry is fiercely regulated, and one small legal misstep can

Many corporations import workers from other

spell disaster for any company or corpora-

countries and need immigration administra-

tion. This is a field of constant legal change

tors to complete the necessary legal paper-

where an understanding of the law is vital.

work. Many large firms have visa specialists

Some banking and finance positions include:

to handle all such paperwork for their foreign

Compliance Officers, Credit Examiners, Finan-

employees once they get here. Other corpo-

cial Planners, Claims Settlement Specialists,

rate positions include: Business Immigration

Bank Probate Administrators, Mutual Funds

Administrators, Human Resources Adminis-

Administrators, Trust Examiners, Securities

trators and International Recruiters. Gov-

Examiners, and Escrow Agents.

ernment positions, at both state and federal levels, include: Immigration Administrators,

While the law is involved in these positions,

Research Specialists and Immigration Inspec-

it’s more of an understanding of the law that

tors.

would be important, as opposed to day-to-day litigation. These types of officers do not serve

These career fields are just a few of the many

as lead counsel on any projects, but rather an-

options you have to explore. There are count-

swer to such counsel. For that reason, these

less opportunities out there, so don’t listen to

jobs can be far less stressful, and the daily

the naysayers who think that your law degree

grind can be tolerable since there’s a variety

is wasted if you’re not in court everyday!

in the work.

Immigration:

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