There are several reasons why students choose to pursue a law degree. Their choice is myriad, and most of it is attached with the advantages which pursuing law offers. The main reason behind studying maybe money. For others, it could be passion. Whichever career choice, it is beneficial to understand the types of law to study. Do you wish to join a family law firm? Which areas of law do you know about?
It is advisable to undertake some research before embarking on a certain career path. This is not any different for people who choose to pursue law. With this in mind, you can choose the best and worst areas to study according to you. So, what are the types of law to study?
Below are some best areas of law to study:
If you wish to join law school, the first question should be, what are the types of law to study? Below are some of the best areas to study in law:
Corporate Law
A big plus in hiring corporate lawyers is that they have had broad training. Their expertise can be used not just for clients who have some business organization such as an LLC or LLP but to handle simple real estate transactions for clients buying or selling homes.
This is what you should know about corporate law if you are wondering what types of law to study: your client base may be very diverse, which means you will have a lot of opportunities to see how business is done all over the world.
On the other hand, your work will be financially unrewarding, and there is a chance that you will feel trapped by politics and a lack of support from other departments within your firm. Also, expect a lot of verbal abuse from those working in different branches as they may take out their anger on you so long as it doesn’t break ethical rules.
Real Estate Law
Do you wish to join law school? What are the types of law to study in law school? You will get good pay but expect some projects to take longer than expected, so do not plan anything for months down the line if it involves travel or moving since these things could be delayed due to pending transactions or rescheduled closings.
You will also be dealing with an older group of clients who are more likely to be stubborn about their wants/needs, which means you will have more work to do when preparing for negotiations.
Criminal Law
Are you looking for the know-how on what are types of law to study? The work of criminal law entails protecting an accused person’s rights by representing him in court, whether it is a misdemeanor or felony charge. The job also carries high prestige because attorneys are often responsible for determining if defendants have committed crimes and what offense they should be charged with. This area of law offers flexibility in terms of working hours so long as one gets all the work done.
You will get good pay, but more responsibility means less time with family since you are tasked with protecting those who cannot always protect themselves; expect to deal with people who do not understand what you do even if they have been through it already and do not expect much support from anyone else within your office (which also means you will likely be removed as defense counsel) since these types of cases can give them a bad name and make them more susceptible to civil litigation (which is more damaging financially than dealing with someone on parole). On the other hand, criminal law can be fun when you get to stand up for those who need it most.
It pays very little compared to other areas. Still, there are plenty of cases that affect the public in some way (which means law firms need someone filling up the seats no matter how unproductive or worthless they view them) which makes for hard competition between lawyers since everyone wants a piece of the money pie; also expect lots of pressure from management especially if deadlines are not met and do not expect to get much support since you will be dealing with numerous clients throughout any given day. On the other hand, you may find yourself having more time off than usual compared to other areas, so it is an ideal job without all.
Health Care Law
What are the types of law to study? The driving force behind choosing a career is the love to practice the career or motivation from the earned money. One of the best areas of law to pursue is healthcare law. Professionals such as a healthcare reimbursement attorney working in healthcare firms help clients both inside and outside hospitals solve health issues, be they medical malpractice claims against doctors/hospitals or disputes between insurance companies and their policyholders. You can work as both an in-house attorney and a litigator at law firms in terms of flexibility.
The plus side of this is that you make good money initially, but like most other aspects of law, your title does not always mean you will be making lots of money. Also, as many people would like to see you as a savior and best friend, chances are this is not the job for someone who does not enjoy office politics or managing relationships with clients.
Employment Law
Employment law is one of the best areas in law if you are wondering what types of law to study. Lawyers in this field take care of the legal problems in matters involving labor and employment law. On the one hand, you are well-paid for working long hours; on the other, your clients can be demanding even if they do not pay you well. You will need to stay abreast of the latest developments in labor laws which is not always easy, but you get to work closely with your colleagues who are fellow lawyers.
You will get good pay, but you will likely be underpaid compared to other fields, and your role may not always be viewed as necessary; chances are you will spend a lot of time just collecting data and writing reports rather than doing any hands-on work or negotiating since attorneys in these areas usually want to stay away from the front lines due to the fear of litigation (which means they either get junior associates or paralegals instead). Your job satisfaction will depend on which side you represent, too, so don’t expect much camaraderie when it comes down to it.
Family Law
Family lawyers deal with divorce, custody battles, and other family law concerns; the advantage is that you do not have much competition since most people are not too keen on dealing with touchy matters involving separation or child custody. As a divorce attorney practicing in a law firm, you will work closely with colleagues, which can help give you some perspective about what is going on in your life so long as you remain professional, even when talking about personal matters.
Your pay may not be high, and your role in litigation will likely be viewed as unnecessary depending on where you practice; chances are you will spend more time just observing rather than doing anything else until it comes around to your turn (and most family law cases tend to go uncontested too which means most of the time will be spent preparing for trial). On the other hand, it is very stable work so you will not have to worry about finding a new job.
One vital point you note about family law in case you are wondering what the types of law to study are is that you may not make as much as you would in other areas. However, the money is still good, and many cases tend to go uncontested (which means you can focus on more important things like keeping track of everything that is going on with your family).
On the other hand, you will spend more time just preparing for trials than anything else, which only happens every once in a while, especially if clients do not understand what they are getting into or fail to commit during negotiations truly; also expect most people who hire lawyers from this area to view it as unneeded so do not expect much support from them even it could help save their marriage (some people prefer to handle their problems and will not think twice towards hiring a lawyer).
Business Law
The types of law to study are an obvious question for students who wish to join law school. Business law is the highest paying field of law. Still, you will be dealing with very difficult clients so expect lots of pressure from management, especially if deadlines are not met, and do not expect to get much support since there are very few cases that affect the public in some way (which means law firms need someone filling up the seats no matter how unproductive or worthless they view them).
On the other hand, you will spend more time just preparing for trials than anything else, which only happens every once in a while, especially if clients do not understand what they are getting into or fail to commit during negotiations truly; also expect most people who hire lawyers from this area to view it as unneeded so do not expect much support from them even it could help save their business or company.
Property Law
It pays well, but you will be dealing with heavy competition, which means the demand for your services may not be as high as you hope; also, expect lots of pressure from management, especially if deadlines are not met and do not expect to get much support since there are very few cases that affect the public in some way (which means law firms need someone filling up the seats no matter how unproductive or worthless they view them).
On the other hand, you will seldom find yourself doing anything else except sending documents back and forth, so it is an ideal job without all those outside interferences, which makes it perfect for someone who wants that 9-5 job without having to worry about anything else.
Other Areas to Consider
There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to studying law. You can choose to become a DUI attorney, a personal injury attorney, or various other options to choose from. Have you been wondering what are the types of law to study in law school? In case you have, it is important to know what areas you wish to pursue involve.
Estate Law
Estate lawyers must deal with the emotionally charged subject of death, which can be particularly trying when dealing with elderly parents coming to grips with their mortality. On the plus side, you get paid well just for getting hired.
Your pay may be lower considering how much responsibility is involved in this area, but it is very stable work since people are living longer, which means you will get plenty of repeat business; expect to use old legal forms, though because the law has not changed much in this area over time. You will also have more responsibility on your shoulders to work harder, but that is expected considering the nature of the work.
Tax Law
The plus side of this is that you make good money initially, but like most other aspects of law, your title does not match what you do. Your job description will become more and more tedious even as your salary rises; only tax lawyers working for very large firms can expect to separate themselves from their tax returns. The hours you put into your career can be expected to double or triple if your goal is to move up in the firm hierarchy.
There are more lawyers in this area than any other practice since tax law affects everyone on some level, but your payment may not reflect what you do, especially if you are doing simple returns; also, expect plenty of pressure from management when it comes down to deadlines even though people care little about how difficult your job can be. You will also spend countless hours each year just dealing with the nuts and bolts that come with various changes in federal tax laws, making it difficult to have a life outside of work.
Antitrust Law
This might be new to many people who may be seeking information on what are the types of law to study. The major downside to working in this field is that the competition is fierce. Lawyers have to spend a lot of time preparing for trials instead of working with clients, which can be frustrating for those joining this field expecting to assist clients immediately but will not see them for a while.
The first few years will be dry; your client base will consist of federal government agencies rather than private-sector corporations. Once you learn how things work, you can make good money prosecuting high-profile cases against big companies.
Personal Injury Law
This area of law is ‘one size fits all,’ and there is no room for specialization. As an auto accident lawyer, there is not much range when it comes to working hours; if your client does not show up, then you will end up wasting time waiting for them, but if they do, then the pressure will be on since you are expected to see them as soon as possible even though they might have been waiting for months.
The upside of personal injury attorneys is that the pay will likely be high but expect the role in litigation (especially depositions) to make up for all of it; you may also not get along with opposing counsel since they are usually just trying to win for their clients which means they may take out some anger on you.
You will also hear plenty of horror stories about injuries and deaths due to neglect or poor planning, so do not expect every case to go well after you hear details since this could affect your attitude, which may not be easily changed since it is part of the job. So, be keen before you decide to become that wrongful death attorney you desire to be. Take time to think about it more carefully.
Bankruptcy Law
For a bankruptcy attorney, it is fairly stable work since bankruptcy filings are on the rise. Still, you will not get paid much unless you can become known for your work (which means many people will do the same work but only accept payment if they win) or take cases that fall under Chapter 11; also, you will find yourself constantly doing errands for other attorneys so do not expect to shine during times like those even though there is less pressure than other areas of law.
Do you wish to become an eminent domain attorney? What does it take to be one? What is the market like? Most people grow up with the desire to fight crime. This often leads them to a law career. It is important to understand the various types of law one can study before making a decision.
