Legal Professions Major

Legal professions is a major that typically falls into the Legal Professions category.

There are 757 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in legal professions, 382 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 434 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 302 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.

Who Is Getting a Legal Professions Degree?

Legal professions is the most popular college major in the country. In 2017, roughly students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the field. The major attracts more women than men. About 67.9% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of legal professions majors is as follows:

• Asian: 4.9%
• Black or African American: 14.3%
• Hispanic or Latino: 16.4%
• White: 52.1%
• Non-Resident Alien: 1.6%
• Other Races: 10.8%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in legal professions. About 1.6% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending legal professions majors to the U.S. are.

What Will You Learn as a Legal Professions Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to legal professions to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Legal Professions Majors

Legal professions majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

Skills for Legal Professions Majors

Legal professions majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

Abilities for Legal Professions Majors

Legal professions majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

What Can You Do With a Legal Professions Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with legal professions:

Careers Related to Legal Professions

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Judicial Law Clerks	5.7%	$53,540
Law Professors	12.3%	$111,140
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	5.6%	$133,920
Court Reporters	3.6%	$57,150
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators	11.5%	$62,270
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers	3.9%	$99,850
Legal Secretaries	-19.1%	$46,360
Legal Support Workers	3.7%	$58,930
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	14.6%	$50,940
Lawyers	8.2%	$120,910

Legal Professions Major Salary

Legal professions majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $55,000 to $121,000. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

The area of the country you choose to work in will also affect your career and salary prospects. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Legal Professions Major Jobs

Some careers associated with legal professions require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for legal professions careers below.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Legal Professions

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	0.8%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	10.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate	8.1%
Some College Courses	6.3%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	12.2%
Bachelor's Degree	11.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	4%
Master's Degree	2.7%
Post-Master's Certificate	1.4%
First Professional Degree	18%
Doctoral Degree	23%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.3%

Online Legal Professions Programs

There are 382 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in legal professions, with 96 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Getting your degree online is not easy and includes watching and listening to hours of lectures, participating in group charts, submitting papers by the appropriate deadline and taking tests. Some online programs will also feature internships or in-person clinical hours.

Is a Legal Professions Major Worth It?

The median salary for a legal professions grad is $71,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 84% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $650,400 after 20 years!

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: The wub via License