by our College Data Analytics TeamDoes the idea of defending a citizen in a criminal court make you excited? How about researching laws and regulations to help people start a business, create public policy or defend themselves from illegal actions? All lawyer jokes aside, Lawyers and Legal Professionals offer critical services to every day Americans.
Choosing a major in the field of Legal Professionals will allow you to study many different disciplines and use that knowledge to understand and analyze law and public policy. As you further your education, you will develop your own attitude and opinions towards law and the justice system through critical investigation. You will learn to explore various concepts through a prism of different perspectives.
Students who major in General Legal Studies frequently go to law school and become layers. However, if you are more interested in behind the scenes work you might consider majoring in or Legal Support Services. No matter what field you decide to pursue, you will learn fundamental legal concepts as well as current issues. You will take classes exploring the history of law, researching and writing for legal documents, and how to think critically.
Studying Legal Professions covers Legal Professions And Studies. Instructional Programs That Prepare Individuals For The Legal Profession, For Related Support Professions And Professional Legal Research, And Focus On The Study Of Legal Issues In Non-Professional Programs. Read on to learn the important information every legal professions student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering legal professions programs.
Nationwide, legal professions is a widely-pursued major, with 68,755 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Legal Professions Schools ranking analyzes these 844 schools to determine the best overall colleges for legal professions students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of legal professions programs later in this article.
Programs in Legal Professions develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations legal professions graduates commonly enter.
A driving interest and passion in law and government will get you far in this field. You will be spending hours of time researching laws, debating their effectiveness and coming up with new solutions to problems. Learn to be a good listener so you can gain new ideas from classmates and peers. Your coursework may seem dry at times, but it will allow you to understand court rulings and legal resources.
Students who excel in this field tend to have very strong communication skills. You will need to read and write critically and clearly articulate your ideas. Engaging in discussion and staying current on the issues is also important in this field. Coursework includes a lot of reading, writing and research, so students need good time management and organization skills in order to stay ahead.
Most schools will require you to join and have an active role in the school government. Also, you should obtain an internship that deals with the legal profession either over the summer or during the school year. This will help you pick up real-life skills to prepare you for graduate school or the work force.
The skill set built by a legal professions program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a legal professions major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several legal professions degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 2,522 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 5,166 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 4,793 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 16,253 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 39,889 |
People currently working in careers related to legal professions tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First professional degree | 40.5% |
| Doctoral degree | 38.7% |
| Master’s degree | 12.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.8% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 1.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.2% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.8% |
| Some college courses | 0.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in legal professions careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Most people who decide to pursue a legal professional degree will continue on to law school to become a lawyer. However, there are many careers in the legal field. These include legal secretaries, court reporters, and paralegals. You may also choose pursue a career in the political science field or public policy.
A degree in legal professions prepares you for numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to legal professions.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to legal professions.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 807,227 | 10.5% |
| Interpreters and Translators | 424,722 | 12.2% |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | 286,021 | -4.0% |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | 236,128 | 0.0% |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | 214,979 | 0.6% |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 211,572 | 10.2% |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | 197,456 | -0.5% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of legal professions graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $78,220 |
| 4 years | $90,204 |
| 5 years | $103,959 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for legal professions graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers legal professions grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $137,571 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $134,350 |
| Judicial Law Clerks | $132,226 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $93,794 |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,726 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $84,793 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $80,735 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $76,955 |
With 844 different legal professions programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased legal professions school rankings to help you.
Those considering legal professions, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Law | 39,447 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 11,533 |
| Legal Support Services | 10,492 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 4,796 |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | 2,487 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
