Thursday, July 1, 2010

Jobs For People With Law Degrees

You do not have to be a traditional lawyer if you have a law degree.


Students who receive law degrees usually pursue careers in law in a field of their choice. A graduate may either accept a position at a larger law firm or start her own practice. Other career paths, however, are available to law school graduates.


Affirmative Action Officer


An affirmative action officer typically works in a county of the state in which she lives, accessing the affirmative action policies of businesses and organizations within her jurisdiction. An officer investigates complaints by employees or whistle-blowers at a company that may have questionable hiring or firing practices. If an officer finds evidence of discriminatory actions toward current or potential employees at a company, she must file a formal complaint with the state attorney general. At the end of the day, an affirmative action officer makes sure that people of all genders, races and nationalities can work for a company.


Arbitrator


An arbitrator serves as a third-party negotiator for civil legal disputes that occur outside of the court system. Arbitrators ensure that both parties behave in a lawful and fair manner during negotiations, and that all contracts that spawn from the proceedings are reached from an agreement on both sides. If two parties decide to settle a dispute via arbitration, the final decision by the arbitrator is binding. A losing party, for example, cannot bring about a civil complaint in court against the other party because he lost during arbitration.


DEA Special Agent


If you are a graduate with a law degree, and do not want to follow a traditional path as a lawyer, you can pursue a career in the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as a special agent. Special agents perform a variety of duties for the DEA, and must have a clear and concise understanding of the law's limits so that they can pursue cases in a legal manner. A DEA special agent is responsible for upholding the laws specified in the Controlled Substances Act, and therefore must have a comprehension of legal documents.

Tags: affirmative action, action officer, affirmative action officer, must have, special agent