Pre-Law

WHY PRE-LAW?

Many pre-law majors plan on attending law school. Pre-law students develop critical thinking and analytical skills as they interpret cases. They learn to digest large volumes of information with speed and high levels of comprehension. They learn writing skills while composing briefs, research papers, and essays about legal issues.

Legal reasoning and knowledge can lead to many different career paths. Yours will depend on your unique combination of skills, values, interests, and personality traits. Employment of legal occupations is projected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations, which will result in about 116,200 new jobs. As law firms try to increase the efficiency of legal services and reduce their costs, there is expected to be strong demand to hire many more paralegals and legal assistants. Additionally, the demand for lawyers is expected to continue as individuals, businesses, and governments require legal services in many areas.

The median annual wage for legal occupations was $80,080 in May 2017, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $37,690. Below are options you may want to consider either as an interim job while deciding on or applying to law school, or as an alternative career option.

• Paralegal/Legal Assistant
• Real Estate
• Legislative Assistant
• Mediator
• Human Resources Representative
• Law Librarian
• Compliance Officer
• Government Relations Officer
• Accountant
• Law Enforcement Officer

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