A law degree is one of the most difficult degrees to obtain. Potential law degree students must complete a bachelor’s degree with a better than average grade point average and exceptional written essay. Once in law school, students must complete a wide range of complex legal courses and a legal internship.
Many Americans have a passion for law but aren’t interested in obtaining a law degree. The following five law careers are perfect for those who are looking to get into the profession but haven’t attended law school.
1. Paralegals
Paralegals are well known and widely used in the legal field. They offer office and administrative support to lawyers and attorneys, and can help with trial hearings and draft legal statements as necessary.
Becoming a paralegal doesn’t require a law degree however, most law firms will require at least a paralegal certificate or associate degree.
2. Court Reporting
Court reporters create verbatim transcripts of legal proceedings and hearings. To accomplish this, they use stenotype machines, an audio recording or a computer. Court reporters must be extremely accurate when performing their job because their data could be used later when a legal determination is being made.
Those who are interested in court reporting need to obtain training from a local community college.
3. Legal Office Manager
Legal office managers are responsible for day-to-day operations. They often work for attorneys who own a private practice, or for a public agency like the district attorney. Legal office managers must be extremely knowledgeable, and should obtain a masters in law without law degree after completing a bachelor degree.
4. Social Worker
Social workers are often used instead of lawyers to reduce overhead costs. They work to help support defendants and evaluate cases in a variety of specialties, including immigration, housing, family law and more. Social workers are normally hired by the government to perform these duties.
Social workers do not need to obtain a law degree, but should seek a Master’s degree in Social Work.
5. Compliance Officer
A compliance officer normally works for a major corporation. He or she is tasked with ensuring that the company is complying with federal, state or local rules and regulations that pertain to a particular business sector, like finance or real estate.
Compliance officers do not need a law degree, but must have a degree and extensive experience within their area of expertise.
Having a passion for law does not necessarily mean you need to obtain a law degree. Focus on an area of law that you enjoy and determine the best educational course of action necessary to succeed in that field.
About the Author: Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her husky Snowball. You can find her on Twitter at @LizzieWeakley and on Facebook at facebook.com/lizzie.weakley.
