A law degree is valuable, whether you decide to practice law or not. There are lawyers employed in almost every type of organization in both legal and non-legal positions.
In recent years, the number of recent law graduates taking jobs in which a J.D. is considered to be an advantage has grown. There are probably two reasons for this: a competitive job market in which J.D. grads have had trouble finding traditional legal jobs, and the long term desire of many recent law grads to go into alternative legal careers.
Typically, a J.D. advantage career is a position in which the employer is seeking an individual who has a J.D., but the position itself does not require admission to the bar or a law license. These are law-related positions in which knowledge of the law is part of the job, but the job itself does not require bar admission. In other words, your J.D. would provide a strong advantage in performing the duties of the job. If it would be unusual for a person holding a J.D. to work in the field, it would not generally fall into the J.D. advantage category
Given the uptick in J.D. advantage careers, what are some of the positions typically open to recent graduates? There are many possibilities. Here are just a few:
- Contracts Administrator (often seen in corporations or government)
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist (such as a Mediator or Arbitrator)
- Regulatory Analyst (often in government)
- Compliance Analyst/Director (often in banks, or in government)
- Legal Editor or Legal Writer
- Management Consultant
J.D. advantage careers, as you can see, can be found throughout the business sector, government, and the public interest arena. Once you start to look, you will find more possibilities.