There’s a stereotype that all lawyers either sit in an officer or a courtroom all day. That’s what I thought when I went into law school; certainly those opportunities are available, but that’s not what everyone does.
Like having a political science degree, there are many options available once you graduate law school, some of which don’t even involve taking the bar. I had classmates go on to work in the public sector as public defenders, prosecutors, and judicial law clerks. Others went into hospitals, banks, and major companies as in-house counsel. Some found working in law school admissions or for one of the major bar review companies the best option, avoiding the courtroom all together. A few opted for post-graduate fellowships, working for non-profits in the healthcare sector or government entities to help institute particular policy reform.
While several took a traditional route and joined a firm directly out of law school, even those classmates have wildly different paths. Many complete transactional work, which involves evaluating business deals and drafting contracts and related documents. Those that work in litigation may try cases, or they may provide litigation support through technical expertise, such as in electronic discovery or tax law.
A few classmates express a desire to return to the law school environment someday in the role of professor. Those students are currently in a variety of positions, but many seek to research and write legal articles outside of their ordinary employment. Other classmates also see academia in their future, but either in the undergraduate sphere or at the high school level. Having a law degree does not mean foreclosing other parts of your dreams for success.
At the end of the day, like a political science degree, a law degree opens doors to many different fields. When I graduated from Saint Louis University in May of 2018, I chose to go into public law and become an Assistant State’s Attorney in St. Clair County, Illinois. I chose this field after interning in several different sectors while in law school including criminal defense and family law. I learned that I hated sitting in an office all day and enjoyed the courtroom, contrary to everything I thought I would like.
Law school will give you many opportunities to figure out what you enjoy doing, as long as you are willing to try to expand your horizons. At the end of the day, a law degree can open the doors of politics, administration, education, and, of course, law. If you find yourself going to law school, don’t be afraid to try everything and figure out what you enjoy doing.