A major in Legal Research will allow you to do in depth research in the legal field. The program focuses on law and legal issues from many different perspectives. Students receive a broad education in the social sciences and humanities to help them research laws and policies throughout history. Classes will include debate and discussion on controversial issues and the role of government in society.
Some of the courses you will take are English, literature, speech, United Stares history, United States government and politics, government policy, logic, writing, political science, philosophy, and constitutional law.
There are many different concentrations in this field. They include Programs for Foreign Lawyers, U.S. Law / Jurisprudence, Canadian Law / Jurisprudence, Banking or Corporate Law, Comparative Law, Environmental Law, Health Law, International Law and Legal Studies, and International Business, Trade, and Tax Law.
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Legal Research Degrees in the United States
#114Most Popular Major
12.3kDegrees Awarded
239Schools Offering Degrees
In 2021-2022, legal research was the 114th most popular major nationwide with 12,336 degrees awarded.
This year's Best Legal Research Schools ranking compares 22 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of legal research programs later in this article.
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Requirements for Getting a Degree in Legal Research
This major is for a person who wants to understand the unique relationship between law and society. You will be constantly reading, researching, and writing on different legal cases and laws. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion and engage in debate. Legal problems are often issues of contention with people.
Be ready to work hard to obtain good grades while balancing all of the work from your courses. You should have good time management skills because you will have a heavy workload in reading and writing for your different courses at the same time. Understanding history, politics, philosophy, and different social issues is important to help shape your opinions and ideas. You will also learn how to read and understand different court rulings and use legal resources to help you. Some schools may require you to obtain an internship in a law office where you may get the opportunity to draft letters or a legal brief.
ADBLOCK #171
Legal Research Degree Program Entry Requirements
legal research degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. In addition to these basic legal research program qualifications, to serve in some legal research careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
Legal Research Degree Types
There are various different levels of legal research degrees. You can get anything from a in legal research to the highest legal research degree, a . The time it takes to complete a legal research degree varies depending on the program.
Degree
Credit Requirements
Typical Program Length
Associate Degree
60-70 credits
2 years
Bachelor’s Degree
120 credits
4 years
Master’s Degree
50-70 credits
1-3 years
Doctorate
Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation
At least 4 years
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to legal research, with approximately 33.1% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for legal research workers below.
Level of Education
Percentage of Workers
First Professional Degree
57.0%
Doctoral Degree
32.6%
Master’s Degree
7.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate
1.0%
Post-Doctoral Training
0.7%
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99.5% of legal research workers have at least a master's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in legal research have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which legal research career you choose.
Career Opportunities for Legal Research Majors
AverageNumber of Jobs
$80.4kAverage Starting Salary
8% GrowthJob Outlook 2016-26
Legal research will prepare you to go into law school if you decide to pursue further education. This would also prepare you to continue on in your education and become a judge. Another career opportunity could be to become a court reporter or legal researcher.
Solid Growth Projected for Legal Research Careers
Want a job when you graduate with your legal research degree? Legal Research careers are expected to grow 8.3% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to legal research.
Occupation Name
Projected Jobs
Expected Growth
Lawyers
857,500
8.2%
Law Professors
23,800
12.3%
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How Much Money Do People With a Legal Research Degree Make?
Recently graduated legal research students earned an average of $80,422 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $40,966 to as high as $220,853. As you might expect, salaries for legal research graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Highest Paid Legal Research Careers
Salaries for legal research graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers legal research grads often go into.
Occupation Name
Median Average Salary
Lawyers
$144,230
Law Professors
$130,710
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Getting Your Legal Research Degree
With over 580 different legal research degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased legal research school rankings to help you with this.
by our College Data Analytics Team
