Are you interested in studying law but don’t want to become and attorney? A masters in legal studies could be the perfect solution for you. What can you do with a masters in legal studies? Read more about the awesome employment opportunities available here.

Did you know that paralegals in the United States had a median yearly salary of $49,500 back in 2016? That’s already a considerable amount of money, but that doesn’t include the bonuses, profit sharing, and commissions yet.

Were you also aware that legal assistants in the country make up to $59,029 every year? That’s also quite the good salary, seeing that the U.S. median is $57,617.

These are two of the things that answer the question “What can you do with a masters in legal studies?”

As you can see, you don’t have to study to become an attorney just to become part of the legal industry. There are many other jobs you can get with a law degree, especially one of the master’s level. And in this post, we’ll help you figure out which ones you may just be best suited for!

What Can You Do With a Masters in Legal Studies? A Quick Guide

We’ll discuss some of these top jobs with a legal degree in more detail. But just to give you a much clearer idea, here are the career opportunities you have when you finish a Master’s in Legal Studies:

• Certified paralegal
• Legal assistants
• Research assistants
• Legal researchers
• Government agent/officer
• Private sector

This isn’t an all-inclusive list, which means that there are plenty other directions you can take your career to. But as the list already suggests, you should already realize why more people are opting to further their careers in the legal industry with a master’s degree.

And to make things even better, you’ll now find online master of legal studies programs available. This means that you can continue your education without having to go back to an actual school. With these programs taken online, you have much greater flexibility, both in terms of schedule and location.

Why a Master’s Degree in the First Place?

Before we further discuss the many opportunities you have with a Master’s in Legal Studies, let’s talk about masters in general first. Why it’s one of the best gifts you can ever give yourself.

First off is the fact that over a quarter of employers now consider masters’ degrees as a prerequisite for positions that used to only require bachelor’s degrees. In other words, you may no longer qualify for that job position you want with just your four-year bachelor’s degree.

This alone should already prompt you to take your education further. Or if it’s for your child’s higher education, consider saving for grad school too instead of just college.

There’s also the increased opportunities for both personal and professional growth that you can only acquire with a master’s degree. Remember, master’s programs give you specialized education and training, which then opens more doors for employment choices.

But it’s not only about getting a much bigger paycheck. It’s more about your chances of getting gainful employment.

The unemployment rate for high school graduates without college education is 7.7% in January 2017. As for those bearing bachelor’s degrees, unemployment rate was 5%. As expected, those with graduate degrees had the lowest number of unemployed, at only 3%.

These numbers all show the value of having a master’s degree to your name. And in the legal industry that employs 1.1 million people, a Master’s in Legal Studies can have a drastic, positive impact on your potential employment.

A Career in a Law Firm

Now that you know how vital a master’s program is, let’s talk about what it can do for your career in a law firm.

As mentioned above, a career as a paralegal or a legal assistant is a common path individuals with Master’s in Legal Studies take. As a paralegal, you’ll share many responsibilities that a lawyer usually takes care of. These include file organization and maintenance, drafting of documents, and carrying out legal research.

You can also expect to create reports and legal arguments. Preparing court filing is another task that lawyers delegate to paralegals.

As a legal assistant, the lawyer you’ll work for will consider you as his/her right hand. You’ll provide support for the law firm or private practice through the same way a paralegal does.

Research, writing drafts, and maintaining legal documents are part of your daily tasks.

You may also shoulder the responsibility of preparing affidavits. Anything that a lawyer needs for and during a trial, you’ll take care of.

As a Government Employee

If you wish to become a part of the Government itself, then know that a Master’s in Legal Studies can take your career far. The Government is the primary keeper and employer of the law system after all. This said, you can land a job in a huge number of departments, from law enforcement to federal regulatory agencies to criminal justice.

If you’ve ever wanted to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), then an MLS program may just be your ticket into the agency. You may also choose to become a customs agent or a detective with your master’s degree.

In any case, your master’s degree gives you an increased chance of gaining government employment. And as you know, there are benefits that only those employed in this sector enjoy.

Think pension, retirement savings, social security, and long-term care insurance benefits.

In the Private Sector

The private sectors also hold numerous career opportunities for people who successfully completed a Master’s in Legal Studies program. For instance, you can land a job as an HR Director or Manager. Another option is to become a Senior Compliance Director or Manager.

Many MLS holders also enjoy their work as a Senior Contract Negotiator. A lot of others work as Senior Business Analysts. And there are also those who work as Associate Operations Directors.

Take Your Legal Career to the Next Level with a Masters in Legal Studies

Now that we’ve answered your question “What can you do with a Masters in Legal Studies?” then you should consider enrolling in a program ASAP. This way, you can start climbing up the ladder as early as now. And don’t forget the benefits of an online MLS program as you compare your options.

Want more education-related articles like this? If so, then pay our blogsite a visit now! You’ll find plenty of other useful tips and tricks there.

The post What Can You Do With a Masters in Legal Studies? appeared first on Wanna Smile.