Legal Research Major
Legal research is a major that typically falls into the Legal Professions category.
There are 3 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in legal research, 10 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 338 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 63 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.
Who Is Getting a Legal Research Degree?
This is a less frequently chosen major. Only 200 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in legal research in 2017. The major attracts more women than men. About 59.3% of the recent graduates in this field are female.
Racial Distribution
At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of legal research majors is as follows:
- Asian: 2.8%
- Black or African American: 13%
- Hispanic or Latino: 5.1%
- White: 68.4%
- Non-Resident Alien: 0.6%
- Other Races: 10.2%
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in legal research. About 0.6% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending legal research majors to the U.S. are China, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
What Will You Learn as a Legal Research Major?
An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to legal research 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 Research Majors
Legal research majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
Skills for Legal Research Majors
Legal research majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
Abilities for Legal Research Majors
Legal research majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:
What Can You Do With a Legal Research Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with legal research:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
|
Law Professors |
12.3% |
$111,140 |
|
Lawyers |
8.2% |
$120,910 |
Legal Research Major Salary
Legal research majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $131,000 to $144,000. 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.
Your salary will be largely dependent on the career path you follow and what area of the country (or world) you work. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.
Amount of Education Required for Legal Research Major Jobs
Some careers associated with legal research require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much education do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to legal research have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
|
Less Than a High School Diploma |
0% |
|
High School Diploma or Equivalent |
0% |
|
Post-Secondary Certificate |
0% |
|
Some College Courses |
0% |
|
Associate's Degree or Equivalent |
0.5% |
|
Bachelor's Degree |
0% |
|
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate |
0% |
|
Master's Degree |
7.2% |
|
Post-Master's Certificate |
1% |
|
First Professional Degree |
57% |
|
Doctoral Degree |
32.6% |
|
Post-Doctoral Training |
0.7% |
Online Legal Research Programs
There are 10 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in legal research, with 0 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 Research Major Worth It?
The median salary for a legal research grad is $131,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 236% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,836,200 after 20 years!
Related Majors
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
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