Welcome to the Law / Legal Services / Criminology / Forensics Community

This is not just about being a lawyer, it is about everything that falls under the umbrella of law, justice (criminal, restorative, community, etc.), mediation, investigation, intelligence, and enforcement. It applies to many different communities, organizations, branches, bureaus, and spans a range of opportunities to be involved.

If you are seeking information specifically about applying to law school, please see the UMass Pre-Law Advising website.

For more general information about the broader career fields in law and legal services, explore the resources below.

Sample Classes

Depending on your main area of interest, your academic pathway will shift. To explore this field, you can take courses that will provide you with knowledge and skills in:

  • Research – for careers in law firms you will need strong research and writing skills.
  • Critical thinking – you will learn to reflect upon and evaluate your own ideas and to analyze problems using evidence-based information.
  • Communication skills – you will learn to actively listen to others and to articulate your ideas in writing and verbally in a way that will help you achieve your goals.

In the Relevant Courses section below are a few examples of relevant SBS courses, but we urge you to talk to your major/departmental advisor and explore available courses in SPIRE. Remember not to constrain yourself to classes within your major.  Check SPIRE for full course descriptions and availability. These are abbreviated descriptions, and details may change at the discretion of the instructor.  Courses may not be offered every semester.

Also in this section are some relevant non-academic Linkedin Learning courses that you can take for free, compliments of UMass.

 

Follow SBS Careers on Linkedin!

Lots of great positions, tips and other great content are being shared on our SBS Office of Career & Professional Development Linkedin page.

Follow us for the latest!

Don’t have a Linkedin account yet? This is a great time to …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Director of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Highlighted Resource: Forage – Virtual Job Simulations from real employers

You can build your employability, and experience what it’s like to work at a range of world-leading companies, all from the comfort of
home!

Get a free taste of industry experience by completing short, real world, company-backed online projects provided …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Director of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Read more

Need credit for your internship?

If you have an internship this summer and you need to get credit for it, or WANT to get credit for it, here is the link the guide, and FAQ page.

Important items to note:

All this info, and more, …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Director of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Read more

Sidebar

Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.

The Core Competencies All Employers Seek

Some skills are universally sought by employers and are essential to a well functioning team.  Stand out from the crowd…

How to Be More Inclusive

Taught by Madecraft
Creating an inclusive workplace, where every employee feels welcomed, valued, respected, and heard, requires both structural change to your company…

The Secrets to Success at Work

Taught by Nigel Cumberland
Regardless of your profession or career stage, you can excel and be successful at work. In this course, Nigel Cumberland—a…

ArcGIS Pro Essential Training (2019)

Taught by Gordon Luckett
ArcGIS Pro is a popular geographic information system (GIS) that combines the power of 2D and 3D mapping with cloud-based…

Learn Emotional Intelligence, the Key Determiner of Success

Taught by Big Think
Explore the four domains of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—as defined by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman.…

Outlook Quick Tips (2017)

Taught by Nick Brazzi
Get quick answers to your most urgent Outlook questions. These short tutorials help users work faster and smarter with Outlook,…

Public Speaking Foundations

Taught by Laura Bergells
Develop the skills you need to prepare and deliver an outstanding speech or presentation. In this course, Laura Bergells offers…

Learning Data Science: Understanding the Basics

Taught by Doug Rose
Many of the people who work on data science teams won’t be data scientists. They’ll be the managers and associates…

You Need a Career Development Plan

Taught by Macmillan Publishers
You can’t navigate your way to career success without first plotting a course. Having a career development strategy can be…

Explore Outcomes

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2024 was 51.3%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Starting Salary
  • Job Titles
  • Employment Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Degree Types
  • Fields of Study

First Destination

SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others.  This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.

Student Success Stories

Featured Resources