by our College Data Analytics TeamA 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.
Studying Legal Research explores Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies. Continue reading for the key facts every legal research student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering legal research programs.
Across the country, legal research draws strong interest, with 11,533 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Legal Research Schools ranking analyzes these 161 schools to determine the best overall colleges for legal research students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of legal research programs later in this article.
Programs in Legal Research emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations legal research graduates commonly enter.
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.
The skill set built by a legal research program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a legal research major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several legal research 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 21 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 150 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 10,974 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 388 |
People currently working in careers related to legal research tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First professional degree | 43.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 40.7% |
| Master’s degree | 13.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.9% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in legal research careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
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.
Studying legal research can lead to numerous career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to legal research.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to legal research.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Lawyers | 155,305 | 2.6% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of legal research graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $78,306 |
| 4 years | $93,383 |
| 5 years | $107,509 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for legal research graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers legal research grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,726 |
| Lawyers | $73,181 |
With 161 different legal research programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased legal research school rankings to help you.
Those considering legal research, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Law | 39,447 |
| 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.
