Investing in a legal studies degree can reward you with many career opportunities in addition to serving as a pre-law degree. It’s not uncommon for pre-law students to take another career path during their college studies or even after they graduate. Knowledge of the law is one of the strongest assets you can have in your educational arsenal. It is applicable to a great deal of operations in our society. The law is a necessary set of rules that provides a standard for society to uphold in order to maintain a civil existence and to continually improve and evolve. A degree in legal studies equips you to uphold this responsibility better than any other college degree.
Pursuing the career of an attorney is considered one of the most well known jobs that you can get with a legal studies degree. The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies offered at Florida National University (FNU) offers a regionally accredited 120-hour curriculum that will prepare you for a variety of careers in law.
Here is a short list of just a few of the jobs you can pursue with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies.
- Immigration Paralegal
According to The American Immigration Council, “one in five Florida residents is an immigrant.” Also, 20.2% of Florida’s population is made up of immigrants coming from Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Colombia, and Jamaica. Over half of these immigrants have been naturalized in a 2015 study. With the new immigration laws in effect, more immigrants are in need of legal assistance more than ever. Many immigration law attorneys like to use paralegals to keep expenses down. It also helps reduce billing costs. A paralegal is not licensed to practice law, but can assist a practicing attorney with preparing documents for trial, filing papers at the courthouse, conducting research, preparing briefs and various administrative duties.
Although FNU cannot guarantee a graduate’s salary, a paralegal’s has the potential to earn $50,410 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Data provided by Statistica / US Department of Homeland Security
- Crime Analyst
The Sun Sentinel reported that Florida’s crime rate has decreased significantly and is at it’s lowest in the past 46 years according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. However, Broward and Palm Beach County has increased. That means for a Crime Analyst, there is still a lot of work to do in the South Florida area. A Crime Analyst can work out in the field analyzing crime scenes or in a laboratory. Some of the duties involve reconstructing a crime scene, making sketches of the crime scene, collecting evidence, recording observations, and more.
Although FNU cannot guarantee the salary of a graduate, we can report that the Bureau of Labor Statistics listed the median salary for this profession at $57,850 a year.
Watch this video that explains what you can expect should you choose a career as a Crime Analyst:
Video Courtesy of CareOneStop
- Court Administrator
The need for Court Administrators is steadily increasing and is expected to grow by 3% by the year 2026. The BLS has actually reported this percentage to be a little slower than other occupations. This is due to many business organizations consolidating their administrative duties with the help of software applications. However, this doesn’t exactly eliminate this occupation altogether. As the need for more streamlined work rises, the role of the court administrator is expected to evolve into other duties that integrate with software management, especially since this occupation directly correlates with the duties of immigration law.
- Law Enforcement Specialist
When it comes to the role of a Law Enforcement Specialist, it’s easy to think of a police officer and you’d be right. In the state of Florida, you must have a college degree in order to qualify as a police officer position. There are basic requirements that every applicant has to follow. To get detailed information about how to become a South Florida Police Officer, visit this site here.
There are other types of Law Enforcement Specialist. For instance, a “sales position that exists to sell our law enforcement portfolio of solutions into agencies and to promote their contribution of data to the LexisNexis Contributory Database” is a real job if you look on Indeed.com! It requires at least 4 years of working in the Florida Law Enforcement.
Most high-paying jobs in law enforcement are typically hired from within. The applicant must usually start with an entry-level position and prove him or herself to be a qualified and trusted applicant. There are many specialized law enforcement jobs like this that are typically on a referral basis. Entry-level jobs just require the education and the right attitude. Earning a degree from FNU provides the right learning environment to help you along the way!
- Law Library Manager
If you are looking for a career that is a little more relaxed, then you might want to consider the job of a Law Library Manager. To fill this type of position, a healthy knowledge of law-related resources is critical for helping attorneys and paralegals collect the type of information they are looking for. It is the Law Library Manager’s job to be as organized as possible when it comes to sorting, re-shelving, cataloguing data, books and periodicals. A Law Library Manager can work for the government, at an attorney’s office, or at a university. The overall pay varies depending on the institution, but you can expect to earn at least $29,050 a year according to BLS. This also depends on the area in which you live as the cost of living varies in certain parts of the country.
Other law-related occupations include:
- Investigator
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
- Juvenile Probation Officer
More About FNU
Florida National University is a regionally accredited institution that also offers the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies online. We have a variety of financial assistance options that can help you pay for your education. Take a look at our long list of academic programs here.
