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When one thinks about a law career, typical jobs that come to mind are police officers, lawyers, judges, or politicians. There are many new careers opening up, however, as the market becomes over-saturated with law degrees and there are fewer traditional career trajectories. If you are interested in pursuing a career that deals in law or politics but are not thrilled with the poor prospects of a job after law school, there are a few alternatives to consider.
Legal Journalism
Many people are willing to pay good money in order to find out about high-profile law cases or political decisions, making the journalism analyst for a television show, or as a correspondent.
The pay range for journalists can be all over the scale: the low end of the spectrum may pay only around twenty thousand dollars per year, while an experienced courtroom reporter can command as much as seventy thousand dollars for their expertise and skills. Larger cities with higher crime rates and more notorious court cases will pay more than smaller towns.
Non-Profit and NGO Management
Some of the people who get into law want to change people’s lives through their careers. Those who are unable to practice it can still act as employees and even executives of non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross or cancer societies. These organizations hire attorneys and legal experts as managers in order to maneuver through the red tape of their non-profit status, recruit new employees and donors, and to set up new offices. The pay scale is modest, with an entry-level position paying around thirty thousand dollars per year while a management position can pay around seventy thousand dollars per year.
Real Estate
For those who have studied real estate law, it is possible to make a significant amount of money in the buying and selling of property. Even if you have not gone to law school or studied much real estate law, a background in legal education can be beneficial for a realtor, a contract developer, or a land speculator. The background in negotiating contracts, reducing risk, and tax structures make law-focused students capable of going into a career in real estate. The pay can be beneficial: the average realtor earns forty-three thousand dollars a year, while those who are skilled or lucky enough to land a large sale will quickly rack up a sizable commission.
If you are interested in pursuing a career that deals in law or politics but are not thrilled with the poor prospects of a job after law school, there are a few alternatives to consider.Click To TweetEntertainment
Since attorneys deal with some of the most sordid and colorful people in society, their profession is often glamorized and dramatized. Best-selling authors like John Grisham make their living from legal fiction, while television shows like NCIS and Law and Order draw from real-life cases to create their content. If you have a bit of creativity, you can weave your experiences into books, television, films, theater, and any other artistic endeavor that people would care to see.
Entrepreneurs
Being able to own your own business can seem like a welcome challenge to some with a legal background. Knowing the legal ins and outs of buying a facility, hiring employees, and keeping supply constant will go a long way in generating profit. Many famous entrepreneurs started as law students who wanted a more productive outlet for their critical thinking skills than a legal career. The salary for entrepreneurs is all over the map, with an average wage between forty and ninety thousand dollars per year.
