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Last Updated: August 01, 2022

Types of Law Fields

Candidates taking a law degree will find that specializing in any area in this field will be highly beneficial and necessary unless they are going for a general legal studies program. Most law schools will offer undergraduate-level specializations, and students will be able to practice within them during their initial internships before applying for the same specialization at a master’s level.

Taking one specialization does not allow candidates to stick to only that one field of study since most fields overlap in the work field. Court cases rarely stay within one field of study, and hence, students will have to learn about other areas along with the nuances of their area of specialization. Most often, after taking a specialization, one will have to take a certification exam in the field of one's choice to enter the work field.

Choosing a Specialization in Law

Choosing a law specialization depends on the court cases one wants to work on. However, this does not imply that one will always have to deal with their vast area of specialization; they will also be able to focus on one of the areas under their specialization if they wish to. For instance, a lawyer specializing in family law can take up only divorce cases and not deal with juvenile offenses. However, at the same time, certain divorce cases might require handling juvenile cases where they will have to take the necessary course of action.

While most specializations are offered at different universities, one must carefully review the courses and subjects that the institution will deal with under the specialization. They must also consider the institution's graduation and employment rates before applying for a specialization. Another factor to consider is the practical nature of the program they have chosen since practicing in the legal field during academic years can be highly beneficial for their future careers.

15 Recommended Law Fields

There are plenty of specializations offered in the field of law. A few of these are exceptionally popular in the career field since they can offer the candidate higher legal positions and salaries. A few of the best specializations one can choose and their details are as follows-

Commercial Law

Commercial law, also known as business law, deals mainly with regulating persons and businesses that deal with trade, sales, and commerce in general. This field of study is often confused with corporate law, and candidates will be able to work on cases from both these fields in the practical world, but essentially, the former deals with mergers & acquisitions, the formation of a company, etc. On the other hand, corporate law deals with assets and aspects like the sale and distribution of the same.

While focusing on commercial law, candidates must learn about other fields of study based on the business their company or organization is dealing with. This can include environmental law, food & safety law, intellectual property law, etc. Candidates will eventually be able to learn about this second field of study after they have confirmed the organization they are working for.

Subjects under Commercial Law

Students who have taken up this field of study will be dealing with include-

Career Scope after Commercial Law

Candidates who have taken their specialization in commercial law will be dealing with career options dependent on the level of education they have completed in the field. A few of these include-

Family Law

Candidates who take up family law will deal with the issues in relationships between people in association with families. This will include marriages, divorces, juvenile crimes, adoption, child abuse, etc., and candidates will have the option of working on any single one of these issues eventually. Taking this field will allow candidates to work for firms and also independently as soon as they have gained experience and credibility for practicing individually.

This field overlaps with fields like immigration, naturalization law, and criminal law in some instances. Students can also work for government agencies that deal with similar cases. A specialization in this field will open up career options in every part of the country since most agencies are always hiring talents from this field. This field will also overlap with property disputes, stalking, domestic marriage laws, etc.

Subjects under Family Law

This field of study will require candidates to learn about various issues and laws dealing with the different aspects of a family. While institutions cover the most general and popular topics in this field, candidates can choose institutions that take up issues in the field they want to work on. A few of the subjects that are dealt with in this topic include-

Career Scope after Family Law

People who have specialized in family law will be able to take up different kinds of legal professions like-

Intellectual Property Law

This field of study allows candidates to primarily work with scientists, artists, and companies that deal with similar persons to protect their legal rights over intellectual property. This area will require them to deal with patent, copyright, and trademark laws. Most often, candidates will work for agencies and organizations that deal with artists instead of individuals. It will be essential for candidates to learn about the kind of subject they are dealing with, and those with a background in the sciences and humanities are preferred for this specialization.

Subjects under Intellectual Property Law

Candidates who have taken up intellectual property law will deal with different types of intellectual property ranging from scientific inventions to visual art. Each of these will have its takes of ownership and handling that the candidates must be familiar with. Candidates will therefore be learning about subjects like-

Career Scope after Intellectual Property Law

Candidates who have taken up intellectual property law will be able to be

Tax Law

This specialization is also known as revenue law and deals with the ordeals of businesses and similar organizations concerning transactions, tax legislation, regulatory services, etc. Candidates who take up the field will deal with disputes within similar setups, mainly when they stem from tax violations. The field will require candidates to deal with civil and criminal cases depending on the scale of the crime committed. This specialization is one of the most sought-after areas in the legal field; hence, students can easily land jobs if they excel.

Subjects under Tax Law

Candidates who take up tax law will be learning subjects like-

Career Scope after Tax Law

Studying this field will allow students to work either for individuals and organizations to help them reduce tax liabilities or they will be able to work for governmental organizations in ensuring that tax laws are being followed. A few of the career options include-

Immigration and Naturalization Law

This field of study deals with people who have migrated to the US and those who wish to be naturalized in the country. Lawyers in this field will focus on protecting the basic human rights of the persons involved. Candidates who take up this field will have to deal with cases emphatically, considering and weighing different options at all times. They will also have to keep themselves updated based on the changing state, federal, and national laws relating to immigrants and citizenship.

Subjects under Immigration and Naturalization Law

Candidates who take up this field will closely deal with family law and sometimes even criminal and civil cases. A few of the subjects that they will have to learn include-

Career Scope after Immigration and Naturalization Law

This career field will involve working closely with families and people from other countries. The demand for lawyers specializing in this field has been high and is estimated to remain high in the coming years. A few of the career options one can pursue include-

Litigation

This field deals with resolving disputes between different parties within the court. However, at the same time, the field does not only include handling the case within the court. It begins with the introduction of the dispute and the formation of the lawsuit. Candidates taking up this field will deal with almost all other law specializations; hence, intensive study sessions will be required to become a litigation lawyer.

One will have to deal with fields such as family law, labor and employment law, intellectual property law, etc. It will be best for candidates to understand most other fields of study before delving into litigation.

Subjects under Litigation

A few of the subjects that one will have to deal with in litigation include-

Career Scope after Litigation

The career scope for people who have taken up litigation is quite high, with the rise in job demand remaining consistent over the years. Candidates will be able to take up professions like-

Real Estate Law

This field focuses on purchasing and resale properties, regardless of whether individuals or organizations have handled them. It will also include the usage, development, lease, and other aspects involved in real estate. Candidates who take up this field will deal with cases relating to preserving tenant rights and landlord disputes. They can take up cases relating to any part of property handling and focus only on them until they are required to deal with other field areas as part of a case.

Subjects under Real Estate Law

Candidates who have taken up real estate law will be introduced to subjects like-

Career Scope after Real Estate Law

The career options in this field are vast since people will deal with all property handling cases. It is also a high-paying career section under the law since the clients one will have to deal with, especially when it comes to businesses and organizations, will be paying high amounts as fees for case completion. They will be able to further specialize in one of the areas of real estate and solely work in that area. These areas include-

Labor and Employment

Candidates who take up this specialization will be dealing with all laws and regulations concerning employees, employers, and their relationships with each other. Once they have completed the specialization, they can work for public and private organizations. They can also represent unions, businesses, job applicants, etc. In this field, they will deal with cases relating to overtime pay, salary increases, parental leave, compensation, etc.. This field will overlap with fields like immigration law, corporate law, healthcare law, etc., and candidates will occasionally have to delve into these other topics to strengthen their cases.

Subjects under Labor and Employment Law

Candidates must study a few subjects and more while dealing with labor and employment law.
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Unionizing Rights
  • Child Labor Laws
  • Wage Disputes
  • Discrimination

Career Scope after Labor and Employment Law

Labor and Employment law specialization will allow candidates to work with different organizations and businesses. A few of the employment options in this field include-
  • Employment Lawyer
  • Employment Law Associate
  • In-House Employment Counsel

Criminal Law

Candidates in criminal law will work on a variety of cases, and this field always coincides with other specializations under law. Their academic and professional work will focus on individuals' and organizations' fundamental legal rights. They will closely work on cases involving the liberties of individuals and citizens in the country.

Subjects under Criminal Law

A few of the subjects one will have to deal with include-
  • Bail and Bonds
  • Plea Bargains
  • Common Criminal Defenses
  • Felonies
  • Criminal Intent and Transferred Intent

Career Scope after Criminal Law

Two career options in this field are mainly opted for by people who want to work in this very field of study. One will represent individuals accused of the crime, and the other will represent the victim from the state or federal government. These are-
  • Criminal Defense Lawyer
  • Prosecutor

Healthcare Law

This specialization deals with all healthcare industry matters and mainly serves to bring justice to healthcare service recipients. They will have to handle cases relating to abuse and fraud within the industry. In turn, the cases they deal with will profoundly impact the rules and regulations being implemented in the healthcare industry. Health law also deals with large-scale matters like health insurance, health maintenance, health risk assessment, etc., as part of the field.

Subjects under Healthcare Law

Candidates who take up healthcare law will have to learn about subjects like-
  • Discrimination in Medical Care
  • Organ Donations
  • Medical Profession Regulations
  • Bioethics
  • Personal Injury Law

Career Scope after Healthcare Law

This field of study has seen consistent growth with high demand for lawyers over the years. Candidates will be able to be part of organizations that deal with legalities in healthcare, or they will eventually be able to practice individually after gaining enough experience in the field. A few of the career options one can have in this field include-
  • Medical Legal Counsel
  • Medical Paralegal
  • Personal Injury Paralegal
  • Legal Assistant

Environmental Law

This field deals with public laws made at transnational, federal, and state levels for protecting and maintaining the environment and natural resources. Candidates who take up this field will work for the government, non-profit organizations, and advocacy organizations. They will be able to study and deal with different factors that deteriorate the quality of the environment. They can also be part of cases that promote environment-friendly ideas. The factors that they have to fight against include mining, deforestation, pollution, etc.

Subjects under Environmental Law

The subjects that one will have to learn as part of environmental law include-
  • Environmental Enforcement
  • Environmental Justice
  • Law Advocacy

Career Scope after Environmental Law

There is a projected growth of around 9% for environmental lawyers, implying that around 71,500 jobs will be available within this field by 2028. Candidates will be able to make use of this opportunity and pursue professions like-
  • Environmental Law Paralegal
  • Environmental Law Attorney
  • Legal Compliance Specialist

Constitutional Law

This field of study deals with the enforcement and interpretation of constitutional laws. Candidates who take this field will either work in firms or independently. They will also be able to interpret and study existing constitutional laws to find outdated laws in the system and amend them. This will include intensive study and drafting of laws that suit the current society and culture.

Subjects under Constitutional Law

The subjects that one will have to learn as part of constitutional law include-
  • Judicial Review
  • Antecedents of the Constitution
  • Political Significances of Law
  • Federal System
  • Limitations of State Authority

Career Scope after Constitutional Law

Most candidates pursue constitutional law research and become professors. However, they can also practice as paralegals or attorneys in the field.

International Law

International law is a field of study that deals with cases and other legalities between nations. Students can work in the private and public sectors and, for the most part, deal with other specializations under the law. They will deal with the relations of different nations, the relations of states and individuals, and even those between international organizations. They will be in charge of creating and working toward treaties, declarations, and agreements between nations.

Subjects under International Law

A few of the subjects that one will have to learn within international law include-
  • International Security Law
  • Diplomatic Law
  • International Human Rights Law
  • International Environmental Law

Career Scope after International Law

Since international law is a broad field of study, candidates can take up another specialization after completing this field to focus on one area within the law. Otherwise, candidates will have career options that deal with all international matters. A few of these career options include-
  • Courts Officer
  • Professor
  • International Lawyer
  • International Law Paralegal

Animal Law

This law deals with all laws and regulations relating to non-human animals. Candidates who have chosen this field will mainly be handling the protection of such life forms and will have to ensure that the laws made for them are being enforced properly. While the law deals with animals that have to be protected and conserved due to endangerment, candidates will more often deal with the abuse and treatment of animals within the entertainment industry, research fields, and even the meat industry.

Subjects under Animal Law

Animal law is a field of study that overlaps with constitutional law, property law, etc. The subjects that one will have to deal with in this field of study are-
  • Animal Cruelty
  • Animal Rights
  • Animal Welfare

Career Scope after Animal Law

Candidates in this field will be able to practice as
  • Animal Attorney
  • International Animal Lawyer
  • Humane Law Enforcement Agent

Bankruptcy Law

Candidates who take up this field of study will be dealing with debtors and creditors in a financial setup. Most often, debtors file for bankruptcy to be exempt from paying the creditor back, and in such cases, they will have to seek a bankruptcy lawyer. Candidates in this field will have to be good with numbers and finance since they will deal with many financial statements and other financial data that can be procured.

Subjects under Bankruptcy Law

Candidates who have taken up bankruptcy law can further learn about other fields of study to perform as good lawyers. A few of the other fields they will have to focus on include-
  • Tax Law
  • Consumer Finance
  • Securities
  • Fraud
  • Contracts

Career Scope after Bankruptcy Law

A few of the career options one can pursue in this field include-
  • Bankruptcy Lawyer
  • Bankruptcy Paralegal
  • Bankruptcy Specialist


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