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Life After Law School: A Guide to What You Can Do Next
For most people, law school can be the ultimate goal. however, once your graduation date draws closer, it may suddenly dawn upon you that your future path may not be set out quite so clearly..
While it can be tempting to panic with such a realization, there is no need to worry.
This is because there are so many different avenues available for you. It doesn’t matter what you want to do with your life, you can put your law degree to good use. If you would like a little more clarification on what lies beyond law school, here are some of the options that you can consider.
Start with the Bar
As you are well aware, there are plenty of steps that you need to take before you can legally start the process to practice law. One of these, of course, is to take the bar exam . Now, if you do want to be a legal representative, then it is imperative that you pass this examination.
Thus, if this is the path for you, you need to take the time and effort to study for the bar. In most cases, you will find that you need 8 to 10 weeks of solid prep. During this time, your focus must solely be on your studies and it is important to avoid other distractions as much as possible.
It is also a good idea to enroll in a course such as https://testmaxprep.com/ to increase your chances of passing the first time around. While it can be a stressful period of time leading up to the bar, keep in mind that all your efforts will be well worth it in the end.
Consider an Internship
Sometimes, all you may know is that you want to be a lawyer. Nonetheless, beyond this, you may be stuck for ideas. There are quite a number of law students who aren’t entirely sure of the direction they want to go in. Now, this is largely due to the fact that you still have limited experience in the legal workforce.
If you are looking to change this, consider getting an internship at a law firm. This gives you a closer look at your future world, while also ensuring that you can still keep your options open. One of the main benefits of internships is that they give you a real world view of what each job entails.
As such, you will often find it easier to decide which type of law you would like to practice later on. It will also give you a better understanding of what is expected of lawyers on a daily basis. Thus, when you do join the workforce, you will be equipped to handle all of the tasks that are thrown your way.
Want to Be Involved with the System? Get a Clerkship
If you have an idea of how you want to be involved in the legal system, you should get a judicial clerkship . As with a regular internship, you will be shown the ropes. The difference here, though, is that you will get a much closer look at how judges and lawyers on the legal circuit function.
Now, it should be noted that such positions shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is something that most law students are after and the competition can get pretty fierce. You will find that this is especially true when it comes to federal judicial clerkships. So, if you want to get chosen, then you need to stand out.
Therefore, you will need to showcase that you have exceptional research and writing skills. At the same time, judges will need to know that you are capable of making good judgment calls and are able to work with others in the same legal field. Thus, you need to prepare for this position quite well.
Go the Academic Route
For some students, practicing law is what excites them most. For others, though, sharing their knowledge and teaching law is their true passion. If the latter description sounds like you, then academia may be your calling.
Of course, being a law professor is no easy task. As such, you need to start preparing right away if you feel like this is the career path for you. It is often a good idea to find a field that you are interested in and to write excellent articles. This can greatly improve your chances of finding a job later on.
Now, if you wish to become a law professor, the research and writing don’t end at school. Oh no, you have to continue to investigate, postulate, and write articles throughout your career. The main goal of many a professor is to have their articles published in a journal.
It can also help to get a fellowship. In modern academia, this will often put you on the right track to being a professor. Once you have nabbed your final role, then your efforts will be in trying to get tenure at your university of choice.
Become a Legal Journalist
If you love dissecting cases, laws, or legal proceedings, then legal journalism could be a wonderful option for you. As the name suggests, being a journalist in this field allows you to write about all things law related. In many instances, you would be attached to a legal magazine of some kind.
However, there are many different avenues here as well. If this is an area that you are interested in, you should certainly start writing as many articles as you can. If you can get them published in reputable journals, magazines, or blogs, all the better! This will give you an opportunity to put together a portfolio so that you have something to show prospective employers.
As you can see, there are many different paths for you to take once you have graduated from law school. So, it is important to take a moment and decide what you would like to do with your future. You should always choose the most interesting option as it will ensure that you love what you do.
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Ph.D. Program
The ph.d. in law degree.
The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a three-member faculty dissertation committee. Unlike programs designed for students who wish to learn about law from the disciplinary perspectives of the social sciences or the humanities, the Ph.D. in Law is directed at students who wish to pursue advanced studies in law from the perspective of the law. This program offers emerging scholars an opportunity to contribute to the development of law as an academic field, and it provides an alternate pathway into law teaching alongside existing routes such as fellowships, advanced degrees in cognate fields, legal practice, and clerkships.
Because our entering Ph.D. students will have already completed their J.D. degrees, the anticipated course of study toward the Ph.D. in Law degree is three academic years and two summers in residence. In their first two semesters, Ph.D. students will enroll in courses designed to help them acquire the background and research skills needed to complete a dissertation in their field of interest and to prepare them for qualifying examinations that test the depth and breadth of the literacies and skills they have acquired. During their second year, students will prepare a dissertation prospectus and begin work on a dissertation. The dissertation may take the form of either three law review articles or a book-length manuscript and will make up a portfolio of writing that will be essential for success in the job market. Ph.D. students will also gain experience in the classroom, and receive the full support of Yale Law School’s Law Teaching Program , which has had remarkable success in placing graduates in tenure-track positions at leading law schools.
Ph.D. students receive a full-tuition waiver, a health award for health insurance coverage, and a stipend to cover their year-round living expenses, as well as support for participation in national and international conferences.
Applications for admission to the Ph.D. in Law program are available starting on August 15. The deadline for submission of all materials is December 15. Applicants to the Ph.D. in Law program must complete a J.D. degree at a U.S. law school before they matriculate and begin the Ph.D. program. Any questions about the program may be directed to Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, at [email protected] .
Watch Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, describe the Ph.D. program at Yale Law School.
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