A degree in law opens up to an ocean of job opportunities and specializations that you can take up after graduation. You must be aware of career options like joining law firms, corporate houses, litigation, judicial services, etc. The whole experience of it can be both confusing and exciting. At CL LST, we encourage students to follow their dreams and do what they love. However, to give you a point of reference, here is a list of 5 law specialization that you can seriously consider making your area of expertise:
Law Specialization – Civil Litigation
A trial setting is usually the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about a lawyer. Litigation is what law is made up of. It arises where there is conflict, and since conflict is a common human tendency, litigation lawyers will always thrive. They represent clients in a host of cases like commercial litigation, insurance defense, class action, personal injury lawsuits and regulatory actions. Due to the nature of civil litigation, it is very competitive and experience matters the most. Firms generally look for litigators having three or more years of experience.
Law Specialization – Environmental Law
Environment protection is definitely the need of the hour in today’s times. With the whole concept of sustainable development along with industries having to produce goods on a mass scale to meet the needs of the people, the corporations today walk on a tightrope. In such a scenario, corporations want to know how to limit their liability with respect to the environment and how to avoid litigation. On the other hand, the non-profit environmental organizations aim at keeping a check on them and want to prosecute erring corporations. Both of them, however, need environmental lawyers to achieve their objectives.
An environmental lawyer advises clients on green initiatives and sustainability issues and has to be well versed in commercial contracts, regulations, and federal & provincial statutes. Environment lawyers typically have a corporate law background, but knowledge of aboriginal law may prove helpful.
Law Specialization – Labour and Employment law
Labourers and employees always strive for better work conditions and better pay, which are the main issues that they put forward as unions. On the other hand, employers seek to minimize costs. In a case like this, conflict is inevitable. Where there is conflict, there is a need for lawyers, who in this case will be increasingly called upon to litigate and mitigate disputes between employees and employers and formulating employment contracts. Since such conflicts are exceedingly frequent and common in some industries, this field of law also sees a growing need for in-house lawyers.
Law Specialization – Intellectual Property law
Intellectual Property is an organization’s most valuable asset. As long as invention and innovation exist, intellectual property lawyers will be needed to procure the rights to new ideas and protect the ownership of existing creations. In recent times, with the growth of the internet, there has been a surge in intellectual property crimes like hard goods piracy, internet piracy and the abusive registration of trademarks on the Internet or Cybersquatting. These developments, along with today’s competitive landscape have led to an unprecedented growth in the demand for intellectual property lawyers.
Due to new developments in science and technology, the field requires lawyers with specialized backgrounds in these areas to help protect the intellectual capital of a diverse group of professionals. Today, intellectual property lawyers are not just hired by artists and scientists, but also by businesses, authors, inventors, musicians and other owners of creative works. Speaking multiple languages is also a huge asset in this field, which can even transcend international borders.
Law Specialization – E-Discovery Professionals
This area of practice is lucrative for lawyers who do not want a traditional practice and would prefer being hired per service or to provide services on a limited scope basis. Electronic discovery is a $2 billion industry and e-discovery professionals are at the heart of it. Professionals are primarily employed by law firms, corporate legal departments, e-discovery vendors and the government. Some of them also work in academic settings.
E-discovery professionals help identify, preserve, collect, process, review and produce electronically stored information (ESI) in litigation and are required to use technology to facilitate discovery and manage electronic data. His/her knowledge of information technology and legal processes renders him/her invaluable to tech-challenged attorneys and clients.
Besides these, you might want to know more about mediation as a law specialization. In any case, it is important to note here that the final decision should not be influenced by anything else but by what drives you. This post is only a reference point for those who are still confused about what to do with a degree in law and we urge you to do your research and find something that is just right for you. Do what you love.
