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Alternative Law Careers: What to do with your Law Degree if you don’t want to be a Lawyer.

For more information and other great articles visit www.LawDegree.me

You took the LSAT and after getting accepted to law school,  worked hard over three years reading, studying, writing and researching.  You spent night after night doing the tremendous preparation necessary study for and pass the bar exam.  After, Juris Doctor in hand, you tried your hand a career as a lawyer.  You worked for the city, the state or you started off at a firm.  Hours after hours of grueling research and late nights writing reports and motions.  Or perhaps you went into private practice.  You advertised, hung your sign, waded into the brutal courtroom litigation process.  You gave it your best shot, but when all is said and done, you just don’t think being a lawyer is for you.  So what do you do?  You have a JD but you don’t want to be a lawyer!  Don’t despair.  You’re not alone.  A law degree can be a valuable tool to help you enter into a number of other fields for those that working as an attorney just isn’t the right fit.

Tangential Legal Careers

There are many lawyers who while enjoying the theoretical aspects of law simply do not enjoy the mundane aspects such as the paperwork and research involved.  They require different kinds of stimulation and incentive in their career.  One popular career path is in the variety of legal sales oriented jobs.  A tremendous industry exists in support of the legal profession providing data, software and other information and related services to lawyers and law firms.  These companies have a strong need for law-savvy sales associates who can communicate with lawyer clients on their level.

Advantages to working in sales include a bonus and commission structure that can offer substantial financial rewards and all without the tremendous paperwork and research and isolation that typical legal work engenders.  Those who enjoy working with many different people and developing relationships as well as enjoy flexibility in scheduling and often travel also find this career field rewarding.  Some companies even offer the option to work part-time or full-time from home with many sales calls taking place over computer with teleconferencing.  While definitely for the more ‘self-starter’ of personalities, a legal sales career can be a very rewarding alternative legal degree track.  For even more ideas of Alternative Legal Careers make sure you visit www.LawDegree.me

Entrepreneurial and Business Pursuits

Many ex-lawyers complain about the stifling atmosphere they encountered at law firms or working in private practice.  While envisioning the fast-paced exciting legal world in such television shows as LA Law or Law and Order while in Law School, when out in the real world they find that reality is far different.  Often, associates spend entire weeks and months without leaving research libraries and the paperwork involved in even the simplest of cases…and the restrictions and legal gymnastics required to settle a case can take all the excitement and gratification that the young lawyer thought was going to be part of their career.  It is no surprise then that many lawyers decide to pursue more entrepreneurial pursuits when leaving their practices.

Luckily, many of the skills and talents you honed as a lawyer can be put to good use in the entrepreneurial world.  Many lawyers start their own businesses, often in fields far askew from the legal profession.  The time management, attention to detail and project management and completion abilities you honed in law can make for great success in the free market.  Pick any interest, hobby or passion and there is guaranteed to be a Juris Doctor holder that has made a successful business of it.

One innovative soul opened a coffee shop where he offered legal advice free on certain days.  Others have opened restaurants, developed online businesses or created innovative ‘green’ companies taking advantage of their knowledge of environmental law.  Still others have started non-profit ventures or nature and conservancy companies that were able to use their particular specialties in their prior legal fields.   It is not uncommon for law degree holders to move into investment banking or use their real estate legal skills to work in real estate finance or development.  The added legitimacy of a Juris Doctor degree will help gain credibility in any venture you pursue and can often help convince lending institutions of your reliability when considering new business loans.  The sky really is the limit.

Creative Fields

A third popular alternative law career path popular amongst those with a creative edge are the many novel paths taking advantage of the strong writing and organization skills that were honed in a legal career.  Many television writers and journalists are known to hold JD’s.  As well, radio and television journalists with law degrees are prized for a variety of roles from legal commentary to specialty topics such as civil rights, criminal and entertainment law.  Still others use their legal background to work as legal consultants or become writers  on important legal issues.

Another potential path are those professions that harness the networking and deal making aspects of legal work.  Many Hollywood talent agents and managers have law degrees which helps them in their contract work and negotiations.  High end job recruiters and political advisors are often required to hold a legal or comparable degree as part of their credentials to reach the heights of their profession.  Finally, a small but dedicated subset of law degree holders become artists in their own right becoming filmmakers, poets and painters and often drawing from their legal experience to create works that comment or discuss important issues.  Several famous novelists got their start as lawyers, from the famous trial attorney Vincent Bugliosi to the now famous…but unknown as a lawyer, John Grisham.

Obtaining your Juris Doctor is a great accomplishment in itself.  Just because one finds working as an attorney unfulfilling does not mean the work put into obtaining your status as a lawyer is a waste.  This essay merely hints at the possibilities that are available to the law degree holder out in the work place.  I wish you well on your journey and make sure you stop by www.LawDegree.me for more great articles on the legal profession both in and out of the courtroom.

Since time immemorial, academic education has proven to be almost single-handedly upholding the standards of excellence and quality instruction in the world. With the utmost attention and value Americans are putting to education and being educated, there has been a creation of a significant amount of interest to be part of the professional world. This undeniable American influence has widely crafted not only a necessity but a want in almost every individual to enjoy the privilege of experiencing value education.

But being in the school or university per se is only a minute mole compared to the insurmountable greatness of the exciting possibility of being able to get a bright future. In this perennially demanding professional world, it becomes highly important to probe on the most marketable university courses with and through which a student may be assured of a more financially rewarding career to pursue after he leaves the premises of his university.

The following are the top 5 professional and financially rewarding careers considered by most of the trusted leaders in the professional industry. With each comes a synoptic discussion on why it landed on the top five. Incoming university students might want to mull over these future potent jobs, and align their college degree program choices to the following.

A personal financial adviser is getting more in demand nowadays with the increasing number of professionals who would want to have a careful assessment of the risks and benefits of retiring early or lately. As what the job title implies, this position is for anyone who got the keen ability to give educated and expert advises to people who seek help in managing their finances. Of course this position is looking for an individual who possesses a doctorate degree since this topnotch job does not condone any form of mediocrity.

Next is medical science. Being a ?medical scientist? somehow suggests a rather broad category for a job. But what a medical scientist specifically does is mainly in line with medical research. In the next years to come, the demand for medical scientists are expected to rise, especially because of the rising demands for medical research where financing is a very vital aspect. Of course, having a degree in tertiary education is a primordial requirement.

A computer software engineer is likewise a promising job. These people are the ones who create computer programs. In this age of computer technology, computer engineers are mostly needed by companies, big and small, to install and write programs and to help them assimilate these creations with future innovative ones.

The next job prospective to fill up the fourth spot is chiropractics. Albeit this practice somehow has gotten a doubtful reputation, this job has successfully been able to stand its royal ground in offering alternative medical and health care. The main job of a chiropractor is to identify and treat any diseases related to muscular and nervous systems, but focusing more on a person?s spine.

Last, there is also a growing need for environmental engineers. Especially now that many governments are becoming much more concerned with the disturbing depletion of natural resources and different types of pollution, these professionals are educated to specialize in building and designing supplies of water within any given community in a way as to maintain a balance between progress and innovation and preservation of the environment.

Are you a new high school or college graduate? A young mom who wants to return to the workforce? Perhaps you’ve recently been laid off. If you have been looking for a job during the recession, you know how tough it is. And there are thousands of Americans in the same boat. As economists analyze the job market, the unfortunate fact is that some of the jobs our parents did are never going to come back.

 

But there is good news! Despite job losses in many sectors, some career fields are growing. Opportunities exist right now for people who are motivated and who have the right training. To qualify for a new job you may have to acquire new skills – but that’s not going to stop you, is it?

 

You have choices. You can study online while you keep your current dead-end job. Financial aid is often available for those who qualify. And most accredited career schools offer job placement assistance. They cannot guarantee you a job, but they’ll help you get trained and point you towards appropriate job opportunities.

 

Which Careers Are Growing in 2010? 

The U.S. government tracks employment and careers. The government regularly publishes the results. Here are some of the fastest growing careers for the current decade from 2008 to 2018 as revealed by the U.S. government’s own publications.*

 

1. Self-enrichment teachers

Do you enjoy educating children and adults? Self-enrichment teachers provide instruction on a wide variety of subjects that students take for fun or self-improvement such as cooking, personal finance, photography, pottery, and painting.  Or you can provide one-on-one instruction in a variety of subjects, including singing, or playing a musical instrument, To qualify to teach, you need to be an expert in your field, and part of your training may include the appropriate certificate or degree.

 

2. Financial examiners

If you like working with numbers and are detail-oriented, you may benefit from training as a financial examiner. These professionals oversee compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and real estate transactions, and financial and securities institutions. They examine and establish authenticity of financial records. And in this era of increasing federal and state financial regulations, expect employment growth both of financial examiners and of compliance officers with bachelor’s degrees.

 

3. Biomedical engineers

Biomedical engineers combine their knowledge of biology and medicine with engineering to develop devices and procedures that provide medical and health-related solutions. They perform research to develop products and systems including prostheses, artificial organs, medical instruments, and health management and care delivery systems. Many biomedical engineers have a master’s degree or even a doctorate.

 

4. Skin-care specialists

Do you enjoy helping people look and feel their best? Skin-care specialists, or estheticians, cleanse and beautify the skin. Estheticians give head and neck massages, facials, full-body treatments, and even apply makeup. Employment of personal appearance workers is expected to grow by 38 percent from 2008 to 2018 – much faster than the average. You may need to be state-licensed and have a certificate or associate degree.

 

5. Network systems and data communications

Do you enjoy working with computers? Network systems and data communications analysts design, test, and evaluate systems such as the Internet, corporate intranets, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and other data communications systems. According to the U.S. government, this dynamic career is expected to grow 23 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than average for all occupations. You can enter this career field with many different levels of formal education.

 

6. Medical scientists (except epidemiologists)

Are you interested in helping to eradicate serious diseases? Medical scientists study human diseases in order to improve human health, and they carry out biomedical research on bacteria, viruses, and other infectious agents. For most prospective medical scientists, Ph.D. in a biological science is the minimum education required.

 

7. Dental assistants

Oral health is important to overall health! Working under the supervision of dentists, dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. An increasing number of dental assistants are trained in one-year programs offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, technical institutes, or the Armed Forces. Many states require dental assistants to obtain a license or certification. According to the U.S. government, dental assisting is expected to be among the fastest-growing occupations over the 2008-18 projection period, with employment expected to grow by 36 percent.

 

8. Physician assistants

Unlike medical assistants, who perform routine clinical and clerical tasks, physician assistants (PAs) provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. From 2008 to 2018, job opportunities for PAs are expected to grow by 39 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations. While requirements vary by state, physician assistants generally have a college degree and a two-year PA program degree.

 

9. Biophysicists and biochemists

Biophysicists research how physics, including mechanical and electrical energy, is connected to living cells and organisms. Biochemists research the chemical composition of living organisms. To enter this growing field you need a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but to perform research or work in development positions, biological scientists typically need to hold a Ph.D. in biology or one of its subfields.

 

10. Physical therapist assistants

If you enjoy helping people recover from illness or injury, you may enjoy this growing career field. Under the direction and supervision of physical therapists, physical therapist assistants provide part of a patient’s treatment including massages, exercises, electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, traction, paraffin baths, and ultrasound. The projected rate of growth for this career? Twenty-nine percent, much faster than the average for all occupations.

 

Here are a few more careers that are expected to grow in the current decade:

 

? Veterinarians

? Athletic trainers

? Computer software engineers, applications

? Self-enrichment education teachers

? Veterinary technologists and technicians

 

Many of these growing careers require job training or an advanced degree. How do you get the training you need? It’s easier than you may imagine. A good place to start is with a reputable college and career school directory. Log on, enter your search terms (career field, degree required, or even geographical location), and identify four or five colleges that meet your needs. You can easily compare programs and other features, and make the choice that’s right for you.

 

* U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment Projections to 2018.”

 

Graduates of finance, business administration, and accounting programs at universities throughout the UK and Europe often need to make a decision after their university days. These young professionals have a solid grounding in the academic side of finances and banking but lack the experience to jump into management positions immediately. As such, graduates often need to consider positions which will give the maximum amount of exposure to all of the nuances of the financial world. One of the best positions for graduates looking for broad financial experience is in financial planning.

Financial planning covers a variety of services to individual and corporate clients, including retirement planning, investment options, and basic banking accounts. Graduates who want extensive experience in dealing with the public should apply for financial planning positions at local or national banks. Successful applicants are put through an extensive financial training program devoted toward learning a specific company’s financial planning processes. After the training program is completed, financial planners are then given a combination of professional development courses and practical experience. Once planners are up to speed, they often take on a certain account load that mixes personal finances, small business planning, and corporate accounts. The average day can consist of meeting concerned clients, learning about new bank offerings, and filling out important paperwork for a client’s retirement savings account.

The advantages of working as a financial planner are plentiful for new graduates. Financial planning is often the first step toward advancement to bank management and larger planning positions. As well, successful financial planners can move from smaller banks to larger international banks, using their experience as leverage for better pay and bigger responsibilities. Financial planners often start at salaries nearing the 27,000 pound mark annually, which are better than salaries for bank clerks or files managers. Finally, exceptional financial planners typically receive bonuses based on their performance and customer satisfaction surveys.

The financial planning market is always steady, with banks and financial planning firms offering plenty of jobs to new graduates. However, the standards for these positions and the commitment required by applicants to a long term training program can cause applicants to turn to other positions. Financial planning positions require a combination of interpersonal, business, and communications skills that graduates may not possess right out of university. Graduates who are looking for a long term career and consistent professional development should consider investing their time into financial planning positions.