Legal and Paralegal Degree Programs

The legal profession is home to tens of thousands of workers, from lawyers and judges to paralegals, court clerks and other assistants who keep cases and lawsuits moving through the system.

Are you ready to learn more about law and paralegal careers? Check out these basics:

How long does it take to study law?

It might not come as a surprise that different professions in the legal field have different educational requirements. If you want to be a lawyer, for example, you would need to complete your Bachelor’s Degree and then spend three years in law school. Some lawyers even extend their studies and earn MBAs or other Master’s Degrees.

But a career in law doesn’t mean you have to spend a career as a law school student. You could become a paralegal in two years by earning your Associate’s Degree or a related certificate, and many law firms employ clerks and investigators who have on-the-job training or degrees in fields other than law.

Where could a law school education take me?

Legal training or law classes can open you up to an entire industry. You could work in the private sector, which means you would work for a private law firm or a private company. Many companies have in-house legal teams that work on items such as intellectual property, trademarks and employment law. You could work for your city, county or state as an attorney, an investigator, a paralegal or a court reporter. And beyond those fields, there are many non-profit organizations that rely on people who are experts in law.

By going back to school, you can gain the necessary skills to qualify for positions in law offices, corporations and government agencies, in areas of criminal law, real estate law, legal research and writing, labor law, domestic relations, and trial preparation, among others.

Which types of law and paralegal degrees are available?

Because the world of law is so expansive and diverse, so too is the education system behind it. Your law classes or paralegal classes could lead to a certification, an Associate’s Degree, a Bachelor’s Degree or even a post-graduate law degree. It’s purely up to you. Make sure you find out which types of certification are necessary for the field you have in mind.

These are among the certifications or degrees you could receive in the legal field:

• Certification: Demonstrates that you have sufficient training in a skill or discipline such as court reporting. You could earn a certificate in one or two years.
• Associate’s Degree: A two-year degree offered by junior college or technical school, an Associate’s Degree is often offered for paralegal courses or similar careers.
• Bachelor’s Degree: A four-year degree, this is the prerequisite for entering law school. Many lawyers are “pre-law” during their undergraduate years, or major in something like political science, English or History.
• Juris Doctor: Sometimes called a “JD” this is the law degree that lawyers earn in law school. It usually takes three years to earn, after the completion of a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Master’s Degree: Often reserved for lawyers who also want an MBA or additional study in business, this law degree takes two to three additional years to complete.
• PhD: A doctorate, this would be reserved for someone who had a serious desire to work as a legal professor or become an expert in a particular niche of the legal field. Doctorate degrees can take several years to complete.