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Reviewed: 5/23/24
If you’re an aspiring lawyer and aren’t sure which area of law to specialize in, this guide has got you covered!
In reality, not all lawyers work with or against high-profile criminals. Many deal with day-to-day cases that don’t make headlines but still have life-changing impacts on clients.
As such, students pursue several types of law, each having its own benefits and drawbacks. Read on to learn more about the different law specialties and how to choose the right one.
There are roughly 16 common law specialties. Here’s a breakdown of what each specialty focuses on and involves.
Civil rights lawyers fight for human rights and freedoms and maintain the balance between governmental power and individual liberties. While this job is gratifying, it is a small and competitive field. Many civil rights lawyers also regularly take on pro bono cases, which can impact their pay.
This legal specialty is self-explanatory—it is the practice of laws about animal rights. These lawyers speak on behalf of animals and sometimes their owners. Many animal lawyers fight for policy and status change and work alongside animal activists to prevent exploitation.
This specialty is less common because it isn’t in high demand; few animal rights law firms exist. Most lawyers pursue this legal specialty because they have a strong passion for animal welfare, which is not a high-paying career.
Corporate law ensures clients conduct their businesses according to local, state, and federal laws. This legal specialty is high-paying but also extremely high-pressure!
In these cases, businesses’ reputations and credibility are on the line, and large sums of money are often at stake, which can mean big payouts or significant losses for the companies you represent.
These lawyers oversee counselling education institutions and systems or parents who want to file motions against school districts.
Education lawyers ensure children receive the most equitable education, but finding jobs within the field can be challenging. Lawyers only incorporate a few cases involving this type of law into their private sector practice.
One of the most common law specialties is criminal law. Criminal lawyers either defend or prosecute people accused of committing crimes. This specialty can land lawyers high-profile cases but tends to be physically and emotionally draining!
Employment and labor lawyers focus on upholding worker and employer rights. This is another typical competitive legal specialty growing in demand, mainly since thousands of employees were laid off during and after the pandemic.
Environmental lawyers focus on regulatory policies and issues regarding natural resources. Like animal law, this field is typically pursued out of passion.
These lawyers are becoming increasingly important as more environmental crises arise, but this field of law is meticulous and involves a lot of policies and paper paperwork! It can also be frustrating as minimal environmental advances take time and significant effort!
Family law focuses on the relationships and interactions between family members. They often deal with child support cases, divorce, adoptions, and domestic abuse, meaning this specialty can be emotionally taxing.
Another typical specialty is tax law, which protects the regulations stipulated by the federal Internal Revenue Code. While tax lawyers typically have high salaries, their jobs are considered relatively uneventful compared to other specialties!
Health lawyers protect and advise the healthcare industry and its patients. They are highly flexible, as they can represent hospitals, clinics, nurses, doctors, patients, and health organizations. Still, they generally require medical knowledge or training to enter the field.
Inventors require intellectual property lawyers to protect their creations. One highly coveted subspecialty within intellectual property law is patent law. Only a tiny percentage of lawyers can become certified patent attorneys.
Many intellectual property lawyers focus solely on copyright law, a complex subspecialty.
International law involves the body of rules that govern the relationships between sovereign states and other countries. To thrive in this field, attorneys should know multiple languages.
These lawyers can practice private international law, working with firms, corporations, banks, or telecommunication firms. They can also practice public international law, working with national governments, public interest groups, and other international institutions.
Another field in which foreign language proficiency would benefit is immigration law. This legal specialty protects immigrants' rights and ensures they receive accessible opportunities and sanctuary.
Municipal law creates the rulebook for how local governments operate and serve their residents. It regulates everything from public safety enforcement and land development patterns to educational systems and property taxation structures. The reach of municipal regulations extends into daily life in ways many residents rarely consider, from determining where businesses can operate to establishing how emergency services respond.
Sports lawyers work with teams, players, or leagues to negotiate contracts and protect clients from criminal accusations or personal property infringements. This field is highly competitive, and successful sports lawyers typically have established connections in the sports industry.
Real estate lawyers handle cases involving the buying, selling, or renting of land. They have high pay potential, but their caseloads fluctuate with the housing market.
Other Notable Law Specialties
The list of law specialties doesn’t end there, however! If you’re interested in practising a law specialty that’s a bit more niche, you can consider one of these fields.
Constitutional law might be for you if you’re interested in everything related to the United States Constitution. Lawyers in this specialty handle cases relating to the interpretation or amendment of the Constitution and issues related to following constitutional laws.
Entertainment lawyers deal with cases involving royalties and the rights of artists and their work, often related to contracts and employment. You can specialize further in film, television, music, or other law practice areas.
You can specialize as a bankruptcy lawyer and represent people involved in or owing debts. If you’re interested in finances, this might be your role!
Securities lawyers are mainly involved in cases that relate to stocks, bonds, and other financial assets. As a securities lawyer, you may work on cases involving fraud.
Elder law protects the rights of older adults and the elderly. Lawyers commonly deal with issues involving wills or estates and health care and disability cases.
Municipal lawyers deal with issues within municipalities, cities, and counties. As a municipal lawyer, you’ll likely handle cases related to property taxes, policing, small businesses, and other such issues.
You might be overwhelmed by all the different law specialties you could pursue, but don’t worry! Our ‘What Type of Lawyer Should I Be?’ quiz can help you decide which is right for you.
Now that you have a better idea of the legal specialties, you may still ask yourself what type of law you should practice.
While it may be challenging to pick one law specialty, you should be able to eliminate the majority of specialties by following these steps:
When you pick a law specialty, you’ll have to spend several years building rapport and experience in it to thrive. Lawyers are known for having extended hours, so you must be genuinely interested in the specialty you pursue to ensure your happiness.
If you know you want an exciting career where you’re spending more time in the courtroom than outside of it, you may want to eliminate options like tax law, which involves a significant amount of paperwork and little to no time in front of a jury.
Are you interested in joining the highest-paying law specialty? Do you have large student loans from law school that you want to pay off soon? Do you want to work for a BigLaw firm? Or are you most concerned with the work you do and the impact you have?
When deciding on your top legal specialties, consider your priorities. You may have a passion for civil rights but want the paycheck that comes with corporate law. Decide which priority comes first and take it from there.
On the other hand, if you’ve always been an avid animal activist and are more concerned about making a difference than your salary, you should pursue animal law. While animal lawyers are typically paid significantly less than other law specialties, around $50,000 a year, you’ll have high career satisfaction.
The best way to decide which law specialty to pursue is to gain experience! Your law school will have several resources to take advantage of to determine what law specialty you like. Law schools typically have diverse course offerings and legal clinics in several specialties.
Hands-on experience will give you better insight into the day-to-day tasks of each specialty. Coursework will also help you understand the types of laws you’ll be working with every day and can help you gauge your interest!
For specific competitive legal fields involving large law firms, like criminal law, corporate law, and patent law, employers expect you to have graduated from a top-ranking law school, likely one of the T14, and be at the top of your class.
If you do not have a competitive application to join one of these prestigious specialties, consider your other options.
While you should try your best to get into your top choice, ensure you also have fallback options. Additionally, education consultants from Juris Education can help you fine-tune your application narrative and explore alternative strategies to stand out. It's crucial to craft your application narrative to reflect your goals and match what potential employers are looking for in these specialties.
Below, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about choosing a law specialty.
The best field ultimately depends on aligning your personal interests with market demand. Still, technology-focused legal specialties currently offer the most potent combination of growth potential, compensation, and long-term stability.
Intellectual property law is considered one of the most in-demand legal specialties, a trend predicted only to increase soon.
Unfortunately, every legal specialty comes with its fair share of stress. The least stressful law practice will let you follow your passion, have job security, and offer abundant opportunities to reach your career goals.
There will be many monumental decisions you make throughout your legal career. This guide should help you make the most informed decision about the law specialty you pursue!
While most lawyers stick to one practice, with a JD, you’re qualified to pursue any specialty! If you’re torn between a few specialties, you have the option to gain experience in all of them! Carefully consider all of your options and ensure you prioritize your interests and goals.
Reviewed by:
Former Head of Northeastern University's Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University
