6 Alternative Jobs For Lawyers

Alternative Careers For Lawyers 2016.

So what can you usefully do with a law degree (besides practice law)? The options for lawyer to have alternative careers are many and varied. Lawyers have successfully found positions in all sorts of related fields. There are many alternative jobs for lawyers and here are a few of the most common.

6 Fields For Lawyer Alternative Career:

1. Education And Academic Administration

Qualified lawyers can also serve in academia as law lecturers and professors, legal librarians, writers and publishers of legal education material. A lawyer who chooses not to practice may still apply her knowledge from law school and experience to teach law school students. Law students also need assistance in conducting legal research, which is a responsibility that former lawyers can easily undertake. Lawyers may also use their specialized knowledge to write journal articles, research papers and books for educational purposes.

Legal knowledge is also useful in non-teaching positions at universities, such as a student complaints officer, disability services coordinator or student affairs director. Law schools, in particular, welcome legally-trained individuals to work in admissions, alumni relations, career services and etc.


2. Banking And Finance

If you have experience in securities, trusts and estates, tax or banking law, you can parlay that into a career in the banking and finance industry. Positions include:  risk manager, trust officer, financial planner, commercial loans officer and mutual fund administrator. Also, you can work as Real Estate Broker. Property values are increasing, and that means it’s prime time to become a broker especially if you have a law background. 

3. Conflict Resolution - Mediation

Arbitration, mediation and negotiation are growing fields employing individuals with legal backgrounds as arbitrators and mediators. Labour unions, hospitals, school associations, universities and government agencies all hire professionals with strong communication and dispute resolution skills. Note that mediation positions may not be full-time – mediators tend to be retained on a contract basis to assist with a specific dispute. Former practitioners also participate in the training of alternative dispute resolution services.


4. Government And Politics

Legal knowledge, current affairs awareness, an analytical mind, negotiation and presentation skills are some abilities that lawyers can leverage for a career in politics. Lawyers deal with clients on a daily basis, they spend their time listening to their issues and devising ways to resolve them. These skills are easily transferable to a political career.


5. Online Legal Consultants And Legal Blogging

There are many internet freelance websites that offer jobs for lawyers and legal experts. On this websites you can get job where you have to write divorce papers, a civil lawsuit petition, contract or legal disclaimer for certain products.

Blogging may not offer you same income like other jobs, but it's fun and lot less stressful. There are many successful legal blogs online today, including the one you're reading now. But you don't have to limit yourself to just legal topics. You can write about any topic which is related to law, lawyers and legal profession.

6. Human Resources

Companies need talented professionals to recruit new people and oversee their staff. You can work as a hiring coordinator, human resources administrator or training manager. Law firms always require specialized attorneys, and recruiters are their link to finding those needles in the proverbial haystack of applicants.