Year after year, you see lawyers walk away from the courtroom to look for alternative career options. Perhaps they’ve grown tired of the courtroom drama or have found out that the profession is simply not suited for them. But even if you turn your back to the legal practice, there are opportunities that you can explore. Years of intensive research and putting your critical thinking skills to test wouldn’t be thrown out the window, when there are industries that highly value the skills set of a lawyer. Here are some career alternatives:
Career in education
You can use your legal experience, training, and extensive knowledge on the field of law through teaching in universities or even paralegal colleges in the country. You may also consider positions in academic administration or non-teaching positions where legal training could be an asset such as in career services, law libraries, or admissions.
Career in government and politics
Legally-trained professionals can assume important positions in the government, since policy-making, research, legal interpretation and implementation are tenets of public service. With thorough understanding of the legal framework, lawyers also make good candidates for political positions, from mayors to state officials. As a good strategist, you can also become a successful campaign manager, lobbyist, or fundraiser.
Career in publishing
Your writing and research skills will prove useful in the field of publishing. You can be a writer for legal publications, be an author of books or articles about legal topics, or even be a newspaper columnist. Aside from publishing companies, other industries will also benefit from hiring a skilled writer. You can be an editor, publisher, or a trusted media personality.
Career in business
Your training as a lawyer can be a valuable asset in business. For banking and finance, you can assume roles as a risk manager if you specialize in tax, banking law, trusts, and securities. You can also be an arbitrator or mediator, resolving conflicts for different organizations, or head the HR department or become a training manager. Some lawyers have also become successful entrepreneurs themselves because of their ability to analyze risks and carefully plan every business move through research.
