Which Law Specialization is Right for You? A Comprehensive Guide

After the first year of law school, you will have increased course options, taking classes and seminars that correspond with your unique career goals. There are many types of law degree specializations depending on your plans after law school.

Although a law degree is a general graduate degree, you can — and should — specialize in the practice area you plan to focus on after graduation. Your legal education should mirror your career goals. For instance, Harvard Law School has nearly 50 specialized courses to choose from.

It is wise to start planning your law specialization while you’re still pursuing your undergraduate degree. This will benefit you in your long-term career goals.

What Are Law Degree Specializations?

During your first year in law school (your “1L” as you’ll fondly call it later), you’ll take fundamental legal courses in contracts, torts, and real property. These classes teach you how to interpret statutory laws and apply them to case law.

After your 1L year, you’ll have the option to take specialization courses in areas beyond basic law. Although you’ll still need to complete Evidence, Civil and Criminal Procedure, and Constitutional Law, you can start enrolling in law classes that concentrate on practice area specifics.

It’s important to focus on your career goals early, as you will have a limited amount of time in law school. Law school is designed to give you a grounding in legal thinking, legal writing, research, and documentation. You must be prepared to take the bar exam and step into law practice in three years. Law firms want associates who have a solid understanding of their practice areas and are ready to move forward in their legal careers.

Common Law Specializations

• 1. Personal and Civil Law Specializations

  • Family Law: Family lawyers handle divorces, child custody matters, visitation, spousal and child support, and restraining orders.

  • Real Estate Law: Real estate covers title transfers and sales, property disputes, warranties, and deed recording.

  • Estate Planning and Probate Law: Estate planning lawyers compose will and testament documents, assist in intestate property distribution, help clients create living trusts and other kinds of property trusts, as well as transfer property between trusts.

• 2. Corporate and Commercial Specializations

  • Corporate Law: Corporate and business law can include mergers and acquisitions, contracts, tax law, formation, and dissolution of companies. Corporate attorneys may work at law firms or be employed within a company’s in-house legal department.

  • Commercial Law: Commercial law consists of contract law, some commercial regulatory law, transportation law, and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) which regulates the interstate transfer of goods.

  • Bankruptcy Law: Bankruptcy law is a specialized area of law requiring the attorney to be certified to appear in federal court as well as the state appellate court.

• 3. Intellectual Property and Technology Specializations

  • Intellectual Property (IP) Law: Copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets are covered by IP law. Attorneys need a good understanding of IP compliance and international copyright and patent laws.

  • Technology Law: A sub-specialization of IP law, technology law focuses on hardware and software in the tech industry, with a focus on international trade laws.

• 4. Public Interest and Advocacy Specializations

  • Environmental Law: Climate change policies, environmental regulation, emissions control, and pollution standards. Attorneys may work for agencies on both sides and frequently litigate or arbitrate for their clients.

  • Labor and Employment Law: Labor law involves union rights, collective bargaining, and employee rights. Unions usually hire their own attorneys in labor disputes. Employment law involves individual workers’ rights, wage discrimination, harassment, and workers’ compensation.

  • Civil Rights Law: Civil rights law covers a spectrum of housing discrimination, police misconduct, and government overreach to First Amendment litigation and Second Amendment disputes. Civil Rights attorneys may work for government agencies or for nonprofit groups.

• 5. International and Comparative Law Specializations

  • International Law: International legal studies are a key area of academia and government policy. Public sector attorneys may work with nonprofit groups and NGOs or aid agencies. Private attorneys may work with multinational corporations to facilitate international trade.

  • Comparative Law: Comparative law is an academic study of legal systems across and within countries. Comparative law helps lawyers and litigators understand and reform their own laws, and how their system interacts with other legal systems around the world.

Pathways to Specialization

When you begin law school, you may not have thought about specializing in one area. Students enter law school thinking about glamorous or lucrative practice areas like criminal law or personal injury law. A few weeks into law school, they discover many more opportunities to explore within the legal field.

There are many ways to maximize your time in law school and prepare yourself for your ideal legal career. Getting your juris doctor (JD) is only one way to become a legal professional and begin practicing law.

• The JD is awarded when you graduate from law school. You must have your JD to take the bar exam. You can increase your knowledge base and employability with a dual degree.

• The JD/MBA combines a law degree with an MBA. This degree grants you a business degree with fewer credit hours than a traditional MBA, and prepares you for a commercial law career.

• A JD/MPA gives you your Master’s in Public Administration, if you’re planning a career in government, public policy, or nonprofit work.

Some top law schools offer dual degrees in their law schools. Institutions to consider include:

• Duke University: Duke offers several three-year joint JD/Master’s programs and features accelerated law degree programs.

• University of Pennsylvania : UPenn’s JD/Master’s programs include Business, Education, Criminology, and Social Policy.

• Stanford University : Stanford features more than 25 joint degree programs including the oldest joint JD/MBA program in the nation.

• New York University School of Law : The NYU dual degree program includes international law, urban planning, social Work, and the opportunity to earn an MPP or MPA at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

• Harvard Law School : Features multiple dual degree programs, with MBA, MPP, MPH, MUP, and PhD programs available to students.

FAQs About Law Specializations

What are the different fields of specialization in law degrees?

There are at least 30 different fields of specialization in law degrees — many of which have dozens of subspecialties. Whatever your preferred area of law practice, you can find a niche that appeals to you.

How does the type of law degree affect areas of practice?

In general, a JD allows you to practice in any area of law you wish. An LLM may limit the practitioner to their prior specialization if the attorney was licensed in another country.

What are the areas of specialization in an LLB program?

An LLB (Bachelor of Laws) is the British equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Like an American four-year degree, it prepares the student for continuing study to obtain their barrister’s or solicitor’s license.

What degree should I get before applying to law school?

You must have a four-year degree before you can apply to any accredited law school. The type of degree is not important, but it should give you a good knowledge of critical thinking, writing, and analysis.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Specialization

Now that you’ve seen a sample of the types of legal specializations, you should take some time to decide what you want to do with your legal education and career. Do some serious thinking and review. Law school is expensive and time-consuming and the practice of law will take much of the rest of your life.

What are Your Passions and Priorities?

Law school will take about three years to complete. Once you pass the bar, you can expect to work 50-60 hours a week in your office or law firm, building up experience and developing a client base. You may work even longer hours if you decide to start your own practice.

It’s important to pursue a field that excites you. If you like litigation, you should rule out contract or tax law. If you want to make money right away and get your student loans paid off, consider spending a few years as an associate in a personal injury firm.

If you went into law to make a difference and don’t mind making less money,  pursue the nonprofit sector. The important thing to keep in mind is your mental health and personal satisfaction. Burnout among new attorneys is distressingly high, due in part to the hourly grind and the feeling of being in the wrong career.

Consider Your Pay Requirements

It can be a mistake to pick your career solely based on potential market demand. Lawyers in general have a positive career outlook over the next five years ( U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). However, nobody can predict what kind of attorneys will be needed in any area. As an attorney, you will always be in demand.

Top-tier corporate and trial attorneys average $120,000 per year, but budding attorneys should keep in mind these are senior partners with many years of practice in their portfolios. Location plays an important part in your salary, with attorneys in North Carolina averaging two-thirds of what their counterparts in Los Angeles make.

Think About Your Academic Abilities

As much as you enjoy playing the latest computer games, you may not be tech-savvy enough to be an IP lawyer. Surprisingly, some specializations like IP require attorneys to be equally knowledgeable in the field they represent.

Some kinds of law, like bankruptcy, medical malpractice, and tax law, need lawyers who can comprehend accounting and finance. If you’re not skilled in these areas, you may need to reconsider your legal career plans.

Conclusion

Once you’ve reviewed your wants, desires, and the realities of law school, you can start considering your legal education. Contact law schools to request more information about their programs and find out what specializations they offer.

Not all law schools have the same specialized programs. Some schools are known for their family law tracks, and some for their IP programs. When you know what you want from your education, you can ask the questions that will help focus your degree plan.