Gavin Howe
A pre-law degree can lead to a variety of jobs, both within and outside the legal field. While many graduates go on to law school, a pre-law designation on your bachelor's degree is sufficient for many law-related careers. Pre-law jobs can provide valuable experience and insight into the legal field, and help individuals decide whether to pursue a law degree. These jobs can be broadly categorized into legal support roles, policy and government roles, nonprofit and advocacy roles, and business and corporate roles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jobs requiring a law degree | Lawyer, Special Agent, Accountant |
| Jobs not requiring a law degree | Paralegal, Legal Assistant, Legal Secretary, Office Administrator, Sales Representative, Victim Advocate, Human Rights Advocate, Compliance Officer, Contract Administrator, Nonprofit Program Coordinator |
| Job characteristics | Gaining experience, developing skills, working with lawyers, learning about the legal field |
| Job locations | California |
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What You'll Learn
Legal support roles
A pre-law degree can open doors to a variety of legal support roles, which are in high demand by top firms. These roles provide invaluable legal services and support to attorneys and other legal professionals.
Paralegal
Paralegals are paraprofessionals who assist lawyers with various tasks, including preparing and organizing legal documents, conducting legal research, overseeing communication, and drafting official documents. They work under the supervision of licensed attorneys and their duties may include finding and identifying relevant laws, articles, and judicial decisions to support cases. Paralegals often specialize in a particular area of law such as wills and estates, real estate, or criminal law.
Legal Assistant
Legal assistants, sometimes referred to as paralegals, provide essential support to attorneys and handle a variety of tasks. These may include clerical and administrative duties, such as word processing, dictation, distributing mail, and answering phones. With the advent of technology, legal assistants' roles have evolved to include more complex tasks, such as drafting legal documents, conducting in-depth research, and managing case files.
Legal Secretary
Legal secretaries are responsible for clerical and administrative tasks within a law office. Their duties may include word processing, dictation, distributing mail, and answering phones. Due to technological advancements and changing client preferences, the role of legal secretaries is evolving, with a decrease in strictly clerical duties. Some firms are eliminating legal secretary positions, while others are expanding their responsibilities and providing support to multiple attorneys.
Legal Support Worker
Legal support workers assist lawyers in a similar capacity as administrative assistants support corporate management. Their duties can vary depending on the industry and employment setting but often include a range of administrative and clerical tasks. They may be responsible for filing documents, performing research, applying legal terminology, and assisting lawyers in various settings.
Office Administrator
Office administrators in the legal field handle daily office tasks, including answering phones, setting up meetings, managing emails, keeping records, organizing files, and providing customer support. This role requires attention to detail, strong management abilities, and the ability to work under pressure, which are valuable skills for aspiring lawyers to develop.
Sales Representative
Sales roles can provide valuable experience in maintaining client relations, working in a corporate environment, and collaborating under tight deadlines. Sales representatives reach out to potential customers, answer questions, negotiate prices, close sales, and maintain relationships with existing customers. These skills can be beneficial for those interested in a career in law, as they involve communication, relationship-building, and persuasive skills.
These are just a few examples of legal support roles that individuals with a pre-law minor degree can explore. Gaining practical experience in these roles can provide a strong foundation for a future career in law or a related field.
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Policy and government roles
A pre-law degree can be a great stepping stone to a variety of policy and government roles. These roles often involve researching and analysing legislation and public policies, providing an understanding of the law-making process and its broader context. Here are some specific job roles you can consider:
Compliance Officer
Compliance officers ensure that organisations, whether corporations or government agencies, comply with relevant laws and regulations. This role provides valuable experience in risk management, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. You will be responsible for interpreting and applying laws and regulations to organisational practices, ensuring the organisation meets all its legal obligations.
Contract Administrator
Contract administrators manage and oversee contracts for government agencies or businesses. This role involves a detailed understanding of contract law and the ability to draft, review, and negotiate contracts. You will ensure that the organisation's contracts are fair, legal, and beneficial to the organisation.
Policy Analyst
Policy analysts work for government agencies, research institutions, or think tanks to research, analyse, and evaluate public policies. They provide insights and recommendations to inform policy development and decision-making. This role requires strong research and analytical skills, as well as an understanding of the policy-making process and the legal framework within which policies are developed.
Legislative Aide
Legislative aides work for elected officials, such as members of Congress or Parliament. They assist with legislative research, policy analysis, and drafting bills or amendments. Legislative aides also handle constituent communications and provide support for the elected official's initiatives. This role offers a firsthand perspective on the legislative process and policy implementation.
Government Lawyer
While this role may require additional legal qualifications, a pre-law degree can be a good starting point. Government lawyers provide legal advice and representation to government agencies, departments, or elected officials. They ensure that government actions and policies comply with the law and may specialise in areas such as constitutional law, administrative law, or international law.
These roles offer a unique perspective on the intersection of law, policy, and government, providing a solid foundation for a career in public service or legal fields.
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Nonprofit and advocacy roles
A pre-law degree can open doors to a variety of nonprofit and advocacy roles, which can provide valuable experience and insights into the legal field. These roles often focus on social justice and human rights issues, allowing individuals to develop critical skills such as research, advocacy, and public speaking. Here are some specific examples:
Human Rights Advocate
Human rights advocates work for nonprofit organizations or NGOs, dedicating their efforts to social justice and human rights causes. This role allows individuals to strengthen their research, advocacy, and public speaking abilities, as well as gain a profound understanding of human rights law.
Grant Specialist
Grant specialists are commonly hired by colleges, universities, and nonprofit advocacy groups. They are experts in understanding an organization's mission, identifying applicable grants, and effectively securing those grants through persuasive techniques. They may also be tasked with managing and monitoring the distribution of grant funds.
Social Media Manager
With the emergence of social media as a powerful tool for advocacy, organizations are increasingly seeking individuals skilled in this domain. While many social media managers possess bachelor's degrees in marketing, business, or related fields, organizations also value extensive social media experience and a proven track record of engagement.
Researcher
Research is the backbone of advocacy, providing the information and insights needed to formulate effective strategies. Researchers are responsible for identifying research goals, sourcing relevant data, verifying its accuracy, and presenting their findings. They may also delve into deeper analysis. Researchers are employed across a wide range of organizations, including nonprofit advocacy groups, governments, intergovernmental groups, and educational institutions.
Community Health Worker
Community health workers serve as advocates within social services, nonprofit organizations, clinics, and other community-oriented institutions. They work to build trust with the community they serve, providing health education, developing community health improvement strategies, collecting data, and addressing local concerns.
These roles offer a unique perspective on the intersection of law and advocacy, providing valuable experience that can enhance one's understanding of the legal field and its practical applications.
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Business and corporate roles
A pre-law degree can open doors to a variety of business and corporate roles, which can offer a unique perspective on the legal aspects of business operations. Here are some options:
Compliance Officer
Compliance officers work for corporations or government agencies, ensuring that organizations comply with relevant laws and regulations. This role can provide valuable experience in risk management, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. It can give you an in-depth understanding of how organizations function within the boundaries of the law and the steps they take to ensure compliance.
Contract Administrator
Contract administrators manage and oversee contracts for businesses or government agencies. They are responsible for ensuring that contracts are legally sound, fair, and beneficial to their organization. This role can provide experience in contract law and negotiation, as well as a deeper understanding of the legal framework surrounding business agreements.
Accountant
Accountants handle financial information for individuals and corporations. A strong knowledge of financial laws and regulations is essential for accountants, and a legal background can be beneficial in understanding legal terminology. Accountants often advise businesses and individuals on tax-related matters, so a grasp of tax law is crucial.
Special Agent
Special agents work in law enforcement, investigating a range of federal crimes, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and financial crimes. They enforce federal laws and statutes, protect national security, and investigate potential threats. A deep understanding of federal laws and criminal justice procedures is vital for this role. Special agents also testify in court regarding their investigations, so comfort with legal processes is important.
These roles offer a blend of legal knowledge and business or corporate insights, providing a unique perspective on how the two worlds intersect. They can be a great way to leverage your pre-law background in a non-traditional legal setting while gaining valuable experience and skills.
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Sales roles
A pre-law degree can be versatile and open doors to a variety of careers, including sales roles. Sales jobs can provide valuable experience in maintaining client relations, working in a corporate environment, and collaborating under tight deadlines—all of which are transferrable skills that will be beneficial in law school and legal practice.
Entry-level sales representatives earn around $31 per hour, although this can vary depending on the industry, company, and experience level. Sales roles typically involve reaching out to potential customers, introducing products or services, answering questions, and providing detailed information. Sales representatives also negotiate prices and terms of sales, close deals, and maintain relationships with existing clients for repeat business. They are responsible for meeting sales targets and keeping track of sales activities and customer interactions.
While sales roles can be an excellent pre-law job option, it is worth noting that there are also other job categories that can provide valuable experience and insights into the legal field. These include legal support roles, policy and government roles, nonprofit and advocacy roles, and business and corporate roles. Ultimately, the best pre-law job will depend on the individual's interests and goals, and gaining work experience in any of these areas can be a great way to prepare for law school and enhance one's career prospects.
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