Other resources for researching legal careers
There are a number of published resources for finding out more about different legal careers—so many that it would be impossible to list them all. But here are a few that we’ve found especially helpful:
Online resources
NALP: The National Association of Legal Career Professionals
NALP is the professional association for career services and placement officials in law schools. The organization collects and disseminates the most extensive, reliable and up to date information on legal employment. NALP is so critical to the exploration of legal careers that I’d go so far as to suggest that if you haven’t spent some time on its website, you haven’t adequately researched whether to go to law school. PSJD is NALP’s initiative to support those going into public service or public interest law.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
This division of the federal Department of Labor is the agency charged with monitoring labor markets and employment statistics. The specific page linked to here gives up to date information about the market for legal employment.
DiscoverLaw
DiscoverLaw is an LSAC initiative aimed at increasing the diversity of the legal profession. They have produced a series of short videos featuring attorneys talking about their chosen fields of law.
I Am the Law
This podcast — first developed by Law School Transparency and now part of LSAC’s LawHub — features regular interviews with practicing attorneys, providing information about what they do on a regular basis. As of Fall 2024, there were over 90 episodes available.
Lawyer Stories
Lawyer Stories is a podcast and video series (available on several different platforms) that profiles a wide range of attorneys in a variety of firms and other practice settings. Developed by UMass Amherst lawyer-alum Ben Gold (Legal Studies ’02, Roger Williams Law ’06), who also serves as the Executive Director of the North Central Mass. Housing Authority.
The University of Wisconsin Pre-Law Advising Center prepared this helpful overview of the paths for practicing patent law — it can look very different from other legal fields.
Books
Please note that while I’ve linked to some of these books’ listings on Amazon, that is only so that you can explore their content further. It is not an endorsement of Amazon. Many of these books can be found in the W.E.B. Dubois Library here on campus or other bookstores/websites.
Deborah Schneider, Should You Really Be a Lawyer?: The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During & After Law School
An excellent book that really takes you through the decision-making process about legal careers.
NALP, The Official Guide to Legal Specialties
This is a great introduction to various legal fields, giving a good idea of the actual work lawyers in such fields do. However! It’s now 20 years old, so some, but not all, of it is getting pretty seriously out of date. Updated career manuals are available from NALP in their bookstore, in the “career paths” category.
Nancy Levit & Douglas O. Linder, The Happy Lawyer: Making a Good Life in the Law
There is a high misery quotient among practicing attorneys. This book explores the underlying reasons for that widespread discontent and aims to help those interested in pursuing legal careers find more satisfaction in their work.
