Lawyers tend to be generalists. Law schools don’t require you to choose a legal specialty, but law students typically focus their coursework in their second and third years to prepare for their chosen career path.
Legal specializations tend to be more amorphous than those in medicine or science. Many have borders that shift and overlap, like those between neighborhoods in a growing city.
As a law school applicant, reflecting on legal field you might pursue can help narrow down which schools to target.
Law schools differ in the specialized courses, clinics and other opportunities they offer. Some may even allow you to earn a specialized certificate or an LL.M. degree in your area of interest.
[How to Pick the Right Law School]
Here are some tips to consider when determining your focus in law school based on the legal career you wish to pursue:
— Don’t get too hung up on definitions.
— Take your future clients’ perspective.
— Think outside the classroom.
— Conduct informational interviews.
Don’t Get Too Hung up on Definitions
Imagine you feel inspired by current events to work on the laws of war. Is this an issue of national security law, international law
or international human rights law?
This topic falls under all three fields, and any such courses could be useful to your career. Even courses in seemingly unrelated subjects like legal theory and maritime law may provide helpful expertise.
Take Your Future Clients’ Perspective
What should you do if you want to focus on art law, but your school doesn’t offer a class in this specific area?
As an art lawyer, you would likely be representing artists, galleries, art buyers or museums. Think about the legal questions these clients would most likely bring to you. Perhaps they might involve subjects like contracts, negotiation, copyright, taxation, trusts and estates, and nonprofit law. Legal training in these topics can allow you to best serve your clients.
[Read: 7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Applied to Law School]
Think Outside the Classroom
Learning in law school goes beyond coursework. Law students receive critical training for their career through legal clinics, internships and pro bono work.
During the law school application process, research your target law schools to make sure they offer practical training opportunities in areas that fit your interests. There is no substitute for firsthand experience to help you determine which areas of law fit you best.
Likewise, look for schools that offer research and writing opportunities to explore your area of interest. Many schools have specialized legal journals as well as research centers and programs where you can engage in emerging issues and potentially write your own contributions to scholarly debates.
School location may affect the opportunities available. Urban campuses make it easier to gain experience in issues like labor law and trade law, while rural campuses may be better for natural resources law or Indigenous law.
[Law Firm Recruitment: What Law School Applicants Should Know]
Conduct Informational Interviews
The people best positioned to tell you which areas of law are relevant to your chosen career path are those who have blazed the same trail before.
If you don’t have relevant contacts in your personal network, speak to career services or alumni offices on campus to connect with law students or graduates. Reach out politely to ask if you can schedule a brief informational interview to talk about their work and their recommendations for which areas of law would be most useful to study.
Of course, there are only so many classes you can take in law school, and some may be unavailable or unable to fit into your schedule. Don’t worry if you can’t take every class related to your chosen field. Most lawyers learn on the job.
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How to Decide Which Area of Law Fits Your Career Goals originally appeared on usnews.com
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