by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Legal Research will allow you to do in depth research in the legal field. The program focuses on law and legal issues from many different perspectives. Students receive a broad education in the social sciences and humanities to help them research laws and policies throughout history. Classes will include debate and discussion on controversial issues and the role of government in society.
Some of the courses you will take are English, literature, speech, United Stares history, United States government and politics, government policy, logic, writing, political science, philosophy, and constitutional law.
There are many different concentrations in this field. They include Programs for Foreign Lawyers, U.S. Law / Jurisprudence, Canadian Law / Jurisprudence, Banking or Corporate Law, Comparative Law, Environmental Law, Health Law, International Law and Legal Studies, and International Business, Trade, and Tax Law.
In 2021-2022, legal research was the 114th most popular major nationwide with 12,336 degrees awarded. This year's Best Legal Research Schools ranking compares 22 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of legal research programs later in this article.
This major is for a person who wants to understand the unique relationship between law and society. You will be constantly reading, researching, and writing on different legal cases and laws. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion and engage in debate. Legal problems are often issues of contention with people.
Be ready to work hard to obtain good grades while balancing all of the work from your courses. You should have good time management skills because you will have a heavy workload in reading and writing for your different courses at the same time. Understanding history, politics, philosophy, and different social issues is important to help shape your opinions and ideas. You will also learn how to read and understand different court rulings and use legal resources to help you. Some schools may require you to obtain an internship in a law office where you may get the opportunity to draft letters or a legal brief.
legal research degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. In addition to these basic legal research program qualifications, to serve in some legal research careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of legal research degrees. You can get anything from a in legal research to the highest legal research degree, a . The time it takes to complete a legal research degree varies depending on the program.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to legal research, with approximately 33.1% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for legal research workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First Professional Degree | 57.0% |
| Doctoral Degree | 32.6% |
| Master’s Degree | 7.2% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 1.0% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 0.7% |
99.5% of legal research workers have at least a master's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in legal research have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which legal research career you choose.
Legal research will prepare you to go into law school if you decide to pursue further education. This would also prepare you to continue on in your education and become a judge. Another career opportunity could be to become a court reporter or legal researcher.
Want a job when you graduate with your legal research degree? Legal Research careers are expected to grow 8.3% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to legal research.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 857,500 | 8.2% |
| Law Professors | 23,800 | 12.3% |
Recently graduated legal research students earned an average of $80,422 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $40,966 to as high as $220,853. As you might expect, salaries for legal research graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for legal research graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers legal research grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Lawyers | $144,230 |
| Law Professors | $130,710 |
With over 580 different legal research degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased legal research school rankings to help you with this.
One of 4 majors within the Legal Professions area of study, Legal Research has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Advanced Legal Research/Studies | 4,365 |
| Programs for Foreign Lawyers | 2,221 |
| Other Legal Research & Advanced Professional Studies | 1,175 |
| American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence | 1,115 |
| Tax Law/Taxation | 962 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Law | 36,411 |
| Legal Support Services | 11,322 |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies | 4,592 |
| Legal Professions (Other) | 2,371 |
