Law Careers--All Degree Levels
Law Careers that Require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Law Careers--Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Can you use your Psychology degree for a career as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant?Once you graduate with your Psychology degree, you have some choices to make. You may not have the financial resources to go to law school to become a lawyer or you don't want to go to law school. That doesn't mean you cannot have a career involving the law. One way you can do this is by becoming a paralegal or legal asistant. Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents. Paralegals and legal assistants are found in all types of organizations, but most work for law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies.
Most paralegals and legal assistants have an associate's degree or a certificate in paralegal studies. Employers may hire college graduates with a bachelor degree with no legal experience or specialized education and train them on the job.
Click here for a great web article on Tips for Becoming a Successful Paralegal Click here to read about reasons to become a Paralegal Salary InformationThe Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median yearly income for a Paralegal/ Legal Assistant at $50,500.
Click here to read important steps to a Law-Related Career with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.orgClick here to return to homepage of explorecareersinpsychology.org
Click here to return to the Careers by Category page.
Click here to return to the Law Careers page.
Click on the links below to read about another Law career that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:
Law Careers--Arbitrators/Mediators
Click on the links below to read about other Law careers that require a graduate degree:
Law Careers--Arbitrators/Mediators
Becoming an Arbitrator/Mediator with a Psychology degreeAn interesting career direction you can take with your Psychology degree is to become an Arbitrator/Mediator. To begin, an AribratorMediator works with different sides to settle disputes outside of the courtroom. To be clear, an Arbitrator/Mediator does not represent either of the sides in a dispute, and the decision that is reached does not require a judge. They review evidence, hold hearings to facilitate communication between the two sides, and ultimately render decisions. These hearings are like a court trial, but they are private and less formal. Many Arbitrators/Mediators work for state or local governments or in the legal services industry.
To become an Arbotrator/Mediator, you will typically need to earn a certificate in arbitration/mediation.
Salary InformationThe Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average yearly income for an Arbitrator/Mediator at $61,000.
Click here to read important steps to a Law-Related Career with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.orgClick here to return to homepage of explorecareersinpsychology.org
Click here to return to the Careers by Category page.
Click here to return to the Law Careers page.
Click on the links below to read about another Law career that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:
Law Careers--Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Click on the links below to read about other Law careers that require a graduate degree:
Law Careers that Require a Graduate Degree
Law Careers--Lawyer
Using your Psychology degree to become a LawyerTo begin, a lawyer is a person who represent clients in a court of law and/or advises/acts for clients in other legal matters. A JD (Juris Doctor) is required to practice law in the United States. Lawyers may work in court (e.g., prosecute cases, defend clients), but may work in non-trial contexts. These include: Mediator (negotiation and conflict resolution), Nongovernmental Development Agencies, Government/Politics, Banking/Finance, Academics, Business, Journalism, Public Advocacy, Human Resources, Counsel (e.g., university counsel).
In thinking about being a lawyer, keep in mind that as a lawyer you do not have to actually work arguing a case in a courtroom. The field of law and changed a great deal over time, and there are many more opportunities for lawyers in non-courtroom settings. For example, as a lawyer you could be a Law Professor at a university conducting research on legal issues. In addition, you might decide to interpret laws for businesses, or even run your own company. The bottom line is that there are a lot of career opportunities as a lawyer that people don't always think about. Click here to check out this website about careers for lawyers.
Many students think that a Psychology degree will not lead to becoming a Lawyer--this is definitely incorrect. Law schools do not require you to have a certain undergraduate degree to go to law school. In fact, most college majors are represented in law schools. In addition, unlike professional schools like medical school, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc., you are not required to take specific courses to be accepted to law school. Will it help to have a course in Constitutional Law (if you are lucky enough to have the chance to take this course. Perhaps, but it is simply false to think this is a require course to even apply to law school.
A law degree usually requires 3 years of law school, and you almost always pay tuition, although scholarships are available. One interesting piece of information to keep in mind if you are thinking about applying to law school is that in the past all law schools required you to take the Law School Admission Test (GRE). However, today, many schools allow you to take the LAST or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). This is interesting, because the GRE is the exam all applicants to Psychology graduate school take.
Salary Informationglassdoor.com lists the average yearly income for a Lawyer at $136,000.
Click here to read important steps to a Career as a Lawyer.To learn more about applying to Law school check out the following:
Law School Admissions Council- diversity in law school and an overview of law school.
The Girl’s Guide to Law School
Keep one thing in mind as you move forward with your plans to apply to law school. There is a lot of competition for law school. It is very important that you remember that you need to stand out among the competition. This might mean doing something during college (if you are still in college) that is reallty unique. An example of this would be your completing a project that very few others would have done--perhaps a research project investigating some aspect of the law.
Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.orgClick here to return to homepage of explorecareersinpsychology.org
Click here to return to the Careers by Category page.
Click here to return to the Law Careers page.
Click on the links below to read about another Law career that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:
Law Careers--Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Law Careers--Arbitrators/Mediators
Click on the links below to read about other Law careers that require a graduate degree:
Law Careers--Judges and Hearing Officers
A career as a Judge or Hearing Officer with a Psychology degreeJudges and hearing officers apply the law by overseeing the legal process in courts. They also conduct pretrial hearings, resolve administrative disputes, facilitate negotiations between opposing parties, and issue legal decisions. All judges and hearing officers are employed by local, state, and federal governments. Most work in courts. The majority work full time.
Judges usually have law degrees and work experience as lawyers--check out the link below about a career as a Lawyer. However, some administrative law judge, hearing officer, and magistrate positions only require a bachelor’s degree. We will add, however, that having some courses in conflict resolution, ot public policy might improve your job chances if you only have a Bachelor's degree.
Salary Information