Legal studies is not just for attorneys or lawyers. Many people go to law school to get high level training. Also, they can use a degree in law and a bar license as a fall back. Their primary objective, however, is a non-legal career.

Besides a "legal" job, what other jobs can you get?

The sky's the limit. Any occupation that requires a high level of argumentation, analytical thinking and attention to detail can benefit.

Analytical Thinking. Juris practice, especially taught by schools using the Socratic Method which teach students how to think in a methodical and analytical way. It also teaches students on how to become a lawyer. The professor comes to class and asks questions to his students.
There really is no right or wrong answer because the focus is whether or not the student can give out a logical answer. They must always look at facts based on how they can relate to larger principles.

This is where the professor asks a lot of tricky and pointed questions, scenarios and hypotheses to tease out the students' logical reasoning. This skill will definitely go through the roof by the time you finish your first year.
What non-lawyers can walk away with from this process is when they look at any data set, they can fit it in general principles or paradigms and see which make better policies and better routes to take. This is a very powerful skill set that sadly, many undergraduate classes distance themselves from. Most colleges resort to "Fill in the blanks" rather than stimulate academic curiosity and intellectual rigor.

Attention to detail. We are not talking about the ability to mention facts but the ability to back up facts with citations and reveal the relationship between the two. One key element in any corporate job is comparing two alternatives and deciding which one is the best to take. You can't flat out say that we need to take option A just because you feel it would work out right. Nobody is dumb enough to articulate that way, just based on feelings. This is one situation wherein legal skills can come in and dominate the day.

Argumentation. This is one powerful skill that graduates can bring to the table in any other professional field. Across many different positions, especially in the higher management, the name of the game is how to persuade listeners. Whether you are trying to close a million dollar deal or buy out another company, argumentation skills are well prized.

Lawyers, since day one, are trained to argue well. This is not about appealing to the listener's emotions or personal status. Judges are not persuaded by emotional appeals but by facts that that governs the case. This is all about logic and facts. This is where your education really shines out.  Hope you can bring liberty and justice for all!


Publisher- Chris Walker currently writes for http://www.examplesofpersonalstatements.com