Masters Degree in Legal Studies

There are thousands of students each year who enter law school with plans to become practicing attorneys. Many of these students will indeed go on to practice as lawyers in the areas of law that interest them. However, a small percentage of these students will discover that, despite their love for the law, they simply don’t have any desire to do the work that must be done as an attorney. The smart ones of this bunch will turn to a Masters Degree in Legal Studies. This degree allows the student to continue studying the law in a way isn’t intended to prepare him or her for a career as a lawyer.

Why Get a Master of Legal Studies if You Don’t Want to be a Lawyer

You may be wondering what would cause someone to be interested in a Master of Legal Studies if he or she wasn’t actually interested in the law. The fact is that the law itself can be a very interesting topic to some people who don’t have the skills that are necessary to truly enjoy a career as a lawyer. A student may be really fascinated by legal research and theory and cases but not have the desire to present briefs to the court or work to convince juries of a person’s guilt or innocence. The Master in Legal Studies degree is ideal for this person who does truly have an interest in the law but knows that he or she just doesn’t have what it takes to be an attorney.

Careers with a Masters in Legal Studies

So if you have studied the law and don’t plan to be a lawyer then what exactly do you do after you have graduated? Students with a Masters in Legal Studies will gain a basic understanding of the law which can then be applied to working in many different types of careers. A Masters in Legal Studies equips the student to do legal research so that he or she may work in a law firm as an assistant rather than as an attorney. It also gives the student a foundation in the law which can be used in different types of work. For example, someone with a Masters in Legal Studies may do legal consulting work for small businesses.

Legal Studies Masters Degree for PhD Students

Another type of student that is often interested in the Legal Studies Masters Degree is the student who already has a PhD or who is in the process of getting one. The reason that this student would be interested in the Masters Degree in Legal Studies is because he or she wants to further their work with an eye towards the legal issues of the specialized field of study. An example of this would be the technology PhD who wants to have a complete understanding of intellectual property law issues in order to improve and protect his or her work in the field of technology. In this case, the Legal Studies Masters Degree is obtained less for the purpose of doing a specific career and more for the purpose of being well-rounded in the career of choice.

Schools offering a Legal Studies Masters Degree