What can you do with a Law degree

Interested in a Law degree? Find out what you can do with a Law degree, from practicing law to non-practicing careers.

This article will cover:

Why take a law degree? 

Do you want to make an impact and defend the core values of our society, justice, safety, and equality? Having a law degree is a great way to make positive change in the world. 

 A law degree also makes you a valuable candidate to many employers. Skills you gain from a law degree include: 

  • Critical thinking 
  • Attention to detail 
  • Research
  • Problem solving 
  • Communication and negotiation 

You can choose to practice law (like roles in our legal careers section) or you may decide to have a law degree and not practice law (like roles in our non-legal career paths section). 

To find out why a Law degree provides you with security in our future job market, go to the emerging legal roles section. 

Legal careers

With a law degree are many legal careers which can suit your desired qualification level, whether that be pre-qualification, qualified lawyer, or advanced careers in law:

Non-legal career paths

You may want to go down a less conventional route after studying law. Here are some alternative careers you can do with a law degree:

Emerging legal roles

As technology and data-collection are becoming a staple to modern life there are in-demand legal roles emerging to maintain this advance.

Having a law degree as well as experience in the following sectors makes your knowledge relevant to future employers:

  • AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data privacy

Work experience in law 

Work experience is an excellent way to try out careers and sub-sectors to find what you're passionate about while building your CV. 

  • Internships, which you can find on job sites like LinkedIn or Bright Network, or on job boards like Law Gazette Jobs 
  • Mini-pupillages, helpful for those wanting to become a Barrister, mini-pupillages are common for second or third year law students to take to experience periods of shadowing and/or assessment within a set of chambers
  • Shadowing, (usually set up informally instead of by application.) To shadow a legal professional for the day, try seeing who you know via friends and family or message someone on LinkedIn. Try searching University of Lancashire alumni who work in a legal profession and mention you are a student at the same university looking for work experience
  • Court visits, law students can visit their local court to see what a real trial is like. You can find the court's public hearing schedules on its website and contact the court in advance to attend a hearing
  • Law society, The University of Lancashire has a law society which you can join and meet like minded people and potentially get work experience opportunities