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Canadian Law

What Canadian Law Majors Need to Know

Programs in Canadian Law develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Canadian Law graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Canadian Law emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Canadian Law program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Canadian Law careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Canadian Law graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Canadian Law professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
LexisNexis CaseMap	Data base user interface and query software	—
Thomson Reuters Westlaw	Information retrieval or search software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
AbacusNext HotDocs	Document management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
LexisNexis	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
CT Summation iBlaze	Document management software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Canadian Law graduates include:

• Contracts Law Professor
• Media Law Faculty Member
• Business Law Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Law Adjunct Professor
• College Professor
• Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Criminal Law Professor
• Business Law Professor
• Torts Law Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Instructor
• Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Canadian Law graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
First professional degree	43.2%
Doctoral degree	40.6%
Master’s degree	13.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Canadian Law Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Canadian Law graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$78,306
4 years	$93,383
5 years	$107,509

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $107,509 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Canadian Law Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Canadian Law graduates earn a median of $93,383 four years after completion — roughly 146% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies	22.02
Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General	22.0201
Agriculture Law	22.0214
American/US Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence	22.0203
Arts and Entertainment Law	22.0215
Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law	22.0205
Comparative Law	22.0206
Compliance Law	22.0216
Criminal Law and Procedure	22.0217
Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law	22.0207
Entrepreneurship Law	22.0218
Family/Child/Elder Law	22.0219

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.