Alternative Jobs
for a Law Degree
A Juris Doctor degree is the highest form of a law degree. This is the law degree that attorneys must attain to practice law. If you have recently graduated from law school and are having difficulty locating a job at a law firm, or if you are an attorney and want to change careers, you have many options available with potential careers that utilize the skills and knowledge obtained from a law education.
Instructor / Legal Researcher
You may become a college instructor and/or legal researcher at a university with a Juris Doctor degree. If you have many years of experience practicing law but want a career change, this may be an option for you because your years of practical experience may be valuable for instructing future attorneys. Conducting legal research, writing academic papers for peer-reviewed journals and writing legal textbooks are also options you have with a JD degree to work in academia.
Civil Rights Investigator / Manager
A civil rights investigator typically works for the local or state government. Civil rights investigators review, investigate and oversee the resolution of discrimination complaints in a variety of contexts, including housing, employment, social services, education, public accommodations and health care. Individuals with a JD degree and experience in civil rights law may be eligible to become a civil rights manager responsible for supervising and training civil rights investigators.
Chief Compliance Officer
A chief compliance officer oversees an organization's corporate compliance program. Corporate compliance programs seek to ensure that the company and each of its employees are in compliance with any regulatory agencies involved with the organization, such as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The skill of interpreting law translates well to interpreting regulations of regulatory agencies.
Trust Officer / Administrator
A trust officer is responsible for creating and administering trusts, which are legally binding contracts where property is set aside by one entity for another. This property is managed and disbursed by the trustee. An example of a trust is a parent setting aside $100,000 for a child upon the parent's death to pay education and housing expenses. A trustee would issue the money to the child only if the conditions of the trust are met and only if the money is used for the purpose outlined in the trust. Creating trust documents requires knowledge of legal contracts and trust laws.
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