A degree in legal studies and a degree in law are two very different things. Students who want to work in the legal field but don’t want to go through the arduous process of obtaining a law degree have options. Legal studies can help you land a job in a law-related industry. In this article, we’ll go over a few of them and show how they differ between the two degrees.
Studies in the field of law
You can earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in legal studies. Students can get a taste of what they will learn in law school in the first setting. A wide range of topics can be covered in the courses, including criminal law, property law, politics/constitutional law, and the history of law in the US.
Undergraduates have a wide range of options when it comes to this field of study. A bachelor’s degree in legal support is one such example. This degree is useful for those looking for work in legal services because it covers material that is similar to that studied in law school. Legal support and services staff are frequently hired by corporations, insurance companies, consulting firms, and healthcare organizations. Justice, torts, contracts, civil rights and the social contract between a citizen and the government are all common topics in law school curricula.
Additional job opportunities for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies or a related major include paralegal, legal assistant and administrative positions in law firms. In criminal justice and law enforcement, there are many other career options. A police officer, a corrections officer, an investigator, and a detective all fall into this category. There is no need for a college degree to become a police officer. However, it may be beneficial to your progress..
An Education in the Law
The Juris Doctor or Doctor of Jurisprudence is the legal equivalent of a doctorate (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur). There is a prerequisite for applying to law school that requires a bachelor’s degree. You must pass the bar exam in the state where you intend to practice law after receiving your JD.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in legal studies or a related field, you begin to diverge from the pack. Undergraduate programs in legal studies can serve as a starting point for a career in the field. In law, your formal education doesn’t end there. An undergraduate degree is a pre-requisite for law school applications in the United States. Any degree you desire is yours to choose from. It would be helpful, however, if you could find one that was relevant to your chosen area of law. Consider a criminal justice undergrad program if you’re interested in a career in criminal defense. A bachelor’s degree in legal studies or legal support could also be useful for a career in law.
Getting a master’s degree in legal studies is different from getting a law degree. In order to apply to law school, a candidate must first take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) (LSAT). Reading comprehension, logic, and verbal reasoning are all assessed on this test, which is given by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). There are a total of 120 to 180 points on the LSAT score scale. Your SAT or ACT score can have a significant impact on whether or not you get into top law schools. Your GPA contributes to the anxiety of an LSAT exam. An additional factor in which schools will accept you is your grade twelve.
The next step is getting accepted to your top-choice law school after you’ve submitted your transcripts. This is a much more difficult process than completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Yale University’s acceptance rate is 10%, while Creighton University’s is 8%. (80 percent ). The average cost of attending a private law school in 2017-2018 was $47,112, which included both tuition and fees. There’s a big difference between private and public schools in terms of quality of education. U.S. News estimates that the latter school will save you $20,000 in tuition costs. US News and World Report
Disparity in Pay
U.S. News reports that in 2016, private-sector lawyers earning $68,375 a year had an average salary of $68,375. This information was gleaned from a poll of more than one hundred and eighty law schools in the United States. They earned between $45,000 and $180,000. Only 19.4% of the graduates earned more than $100,000 on average, which is surprising.
The median salary for paralegals and legal assistants with an Associate’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2017), is $50,410. This salary is comparable to that of a public sector lawyer. With a bachelor’s degree, you may earn a little more money. Having a law degree can open the door to a more lucrative career in a well-known law firm in a major city. Due to this, the seven-year journey (bachelor + law degree) is costly and time-consuming.
