Lawyer
Lawyers advise people, businesses and governments on their legal rights and duties, draft legal documents and represent clients in negotiations and in court.
What can you do with a law degree?
Also called: Legal studies · Bachelor of Laws (LLB) · Juris Doctor (JD) · Jurisprudence
Updated How we use data
Quick answer
A law degree teaches how legal systems work and how to find, interpret and apply the law, from contracts and crime to human rights. It is the usual first step towards becoming a lawyer, although qualifying needs further training and exams. Graduates also become paralegals, policy officers, diplomats, human resources officers and police officers, and work in business and government.
Careers with a law degree
Many law graduates aim to qualify as lawyers, a profession with different titles around the world, such as attorney, advocate, solicitor, barrister or notary. The path is long and competitive, and many graduates choose other careers. They work as paralegals, compliance officers, human resources officers and police officers, and in the civil service, policy work and diplomacy. Legal knowledge is also valued in banking, insurance, journalism and technology companies.
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Paralegal
Paralegals do legal work under the supervision of lawyers, such as research, drafting documents and managing case files.
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Policy officer
Policy officers research problems, analyse evidence and advise decision makers on laws, programmes and strategies.
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Diplomat
Diplomats represent their country's government abroad and in the foreign ministry at home.
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Human resources officer
Human resources (HR) officers look after the people side of an organisation, including recruitment, contracts, pay and benefits, training, employee relations and workplace policies.
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Police officer
Police officers protect the public, prevent and investigate crime, respond to emergencies and enforce the law.
Other roles graduates go into: Compliance officer · Contract manager · Data protection officer · Mediator · Tax adviser · Court clerk
What you study and the skills you gain
Typical topics
- Constitutional and administrative law
- Criminal law
- Contract law
- Tort law and civil liability
- Property and land law
- International and human rights law
- Legal research, writing and methods
- Optional areas such as commercial, family, environmental or technology law
Skills you gain
- Reading and interpreting complex texts precisely
- Building logical arguments and anticipating objections
- Researching laws and past cases
- Writing clear, accurate documents and advice
- Speaking persuasively and negotiating
- Handling confidential information and following professional ethics
How the degree differs around the world
In most countries, law is a first degree that you start straight after school. It usually takes three to five years, for example three years in England, four in China and five in Brazil. In the United States, and in Canada outside Quebec, law is a graduate degree: a three-year Juris Doctor (JD) taken after another bachelor's degree. Some countries, such as India and Australia, offer both routes, and Japan and South Korea have graduate law schools. Almost everywhere, the degree alone does not let you practise. You usually need further professional training, supervised practice and a bar or state exam, run by national or regional authorities.
How do law graduates do?
Earnings and employment by country
The OECD compares graduates by field of study. This subject falls under “Law”. The first column compares the median earnings of tertiary-educated adults in this field with all tertiary-educated adults (100 = average).
| Country | Earnings index (all graduates = 100) | Employment rate, this field | Employment rate, all graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 146 (2022) | 90.9% (2024) | 88.8% |
| Canada | 141 (2020) | 81.8% (2021) | 80.4% |
| Sweden | 125 (2023) | 86.2% (2024) | 89.6% |
| Switzerland | 124 (2023) | 88.3% (2024) | 89.5% |
| Denmark | 119 (2023) | 92.2% (2021) | 87.8% |
| Luxembourg | 118 (2023) | 87.8% (2024) | 85.7% |
| Norway | 114 (2023) | 90.8% (2024) | 89.3% |
| Portugal | 112 (2020) | 89.7% (2024) | 90.7% |
| Austria | 111 (2023) | 86.1% (2024) | 86.4% |
| Slovenia | 110 (2020) | 91.1% (2024) | 90.8% |
| Germany | 108 (2020) | 87.8% (2024) | 88.7% |
| United Kingdom | 108 (2020) | 84.4% (2021) | 84.6% |
| South Korea | 108 (2023) | — | — |
| Australia | 105 (2020) | 88.0% (2024) | 88.4% |
| Estonia | 105 (2023) | 85.0% (2024) | 89.2% |
| Chile | 103 (2023) | 88.5% (2022) | 85.7% |
| Costa Rica | 99 (2023) | 54.7% (2024) | 79.2% |
| Latvia | 98 (2023) | 89.0% (2024) | 87.7% |
| Romania | 97 (2023) | 91.0% (2024) | 91.5% |
| Mexico | 97 (2023) | 81.9% (2024) | 81.5% |
| United States | 90 (2023) | 85.5% (2017) | 84.3% |
| Iceland | — | 95.2% (2016) | 93.6% |
| Lithuania | — | 94.4% (2024) | 90.4% |
| Poland | — | 92.3% (2024) | 91.6% |
| Croatia | — | 90.0% (2024) | 89.7% |
| Slovakia | — | 89.7% (2024) | 90.5% |
| Netherlands | — | 89.6% (2024) | 90.6% |
| Czechia | — | 88.8% (2024) | 88.4% |
| Ireland | — | 88.6% (2021) | 86.9% |
| Belgium | — | 87.0% (2024) | 88.5% |
| Hungary | — | 87.0% (2024) | 76.2% |
| Greece | — | 86.7% (2024) | 82.3% |
| France | — | 86.5% (2024) | 87.3% |
| Italy | — | 85.9% (2024) | 84.7% |
| Spain | — | 83.9% (2024) | 83.9% |
| Peru | — | 79.7% (2024) | 81.7% |
| Türkiye | — | 72.9% (2016) | 72.9% |
Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Adults aged 25–64 with tertiary education; latest year available, full-time earners where published. Values are for the whole field of study, not this subject alone. Where a country publishes only broad fields, we use “Business, administration and law”.
Graduate earnings in the UK
The UK government links tax records to university records to measure what graduates earn. These figures are for “Law” first-degree graduates who were employed in the 2023–24 tax year.
| Time since graduating | Median | Lower quartile | Upper quartile | In work or study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After 1 year | £23,800 | £19,800 | £28,900 | 90.9% |
| After 3 years | £27,800 | £22,700 | £34,800 | 89.0% |
| After 5 years | £33,300 | £25,300 | £45,400 | 87.5% |
| After 10 years | £43,900 | £29,600 | £66,600 | 85.8% |
Source: UK Department for Education, Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO), tax year 2023–24. Earnings are annual and include only graduates in sustained employment. More UK detail on CourseToJob.co.uk
Is a law degree right for you?
It may suit you if
- You enjoy reading closely, arguing a case and finding weak points in reasoning.
- You are interested in how rules shape society, business and people's rights.
- You can handle a heavy workload and learn large amounts of detailed material.
Think twice if
- You dislike spending long hours reading dense texts.
- You expect the degree alone to make you a lawyer, as further training, exams and competition for places follow.
- You want to work in several countries, as legal knowledge is often tied to one country's system.
Further study
To practise law, most graduates take professional training, such as a bar or legal practice course or a practical traineeship, followed by exams and supervised work. The details depend on the country. A Master of Laws (LLM) lets you specialise in areas such as international, commercial or human rights law, and it is popular with lawyers who want to work abroad. A PhD leads to academic and research careers.
Questions about studying law
What jobs can you get with a law degree?
Common jobs include lawyer (after further training), paralegal, compliance officer, policy officer, human resources officer, police officer and diplomat. Law graduates also work in banking, insurance, tax, journalism, the civil service and international organisations. Many employers outside law value the degree for its research, reasoning and writing skills.
Do you need a law degree to become a lawyer?
It depends on the country. In the United States and most of Canada, you need a Juris Doctor from law school, which you start after a bachelor's degree in any subject. In England and Wales, graduates of other subjects can qualify through a conversion course or the professional exams. In many other countries, including much of Europe, a law degree is normally required.
Can you become a lawyer with just a law degree?
Usually not. In most countries you must also complete professional training, a period of supervised practice and a bar or state exam before you can practise. The steps, length and costs differ between countries and sometimes between regions. Check the rules of the regulator or bar association where you want to work.
Is a law degree hard?
Law is demanding because of the amount of reading and the need for precise analysis and writing. You learn many rules and cases, and exams test how well you apply them to new problems. Students who manage their time well, read regularly and practise answering problem questions usually cope well.
Related subjects
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Criminology
A criminology degree studies crime, why people commit it and how societies respond through policing, courts, prisons and prevention.
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Politics
A politics degree, often called political science, studies how power works: how governments are chosen and run, how laws and policies are made, and why people and countries cooperate or come into conflict.
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Philosophy
A philosophy degree trains you to think clearly about difficult questions, such as what we can know, what is right and wrong, and how minds, language and societies work.
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History
A history degree studies how societies, cultures, economies and ideas have changed over time, using evidence such as documents, objects and people's memories.
Sources
- OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes — Earnings and employment by field of study, adults 25–64
- UK Department for Education — Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO) — CAH CAH16-01-01 — Law
- UNESCO — ISCED-F 2013 — ISCED-F 0421
How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). What can you do with a law degree? Jobs and salaries. https://coursetojob.com/subjects/law/ (accessed September 26, 2026)