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Career Services
Practice Area Resources
Before beginning a job search, students should explore practice areas to find out what types of jobs fit their interests and career goals.  The following links contain information on various practice areas, as well as job postings in those specialties.  In addition to the links below, the Career Services Office has a number of books describing practice areas and alternative legal careers available for students to check out. 

Administrative Law


ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Student Section

Admiralty Law

Admiralty law information from the University of Miami - Includes a brief description of the practice area and links to research and further information about the field.

Animal Law

Animal law grows in stature, offering new opportunities - Article from Student Lawyer magazine.

National Center for Animal Law - Resources and information on careers, scholarships, and courses for students interested in animal law.

State Bar of Texas Animal Law Section - Includes information on annual CLE courses on animal law.

Bankruptcy Law

American Bankruptcy Institute - Includes information on student memberships and a link to job listings.

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys - News and information about bankruptcy practices and legislation.

Corporate Law

Are you sure you want to go in-house? - Critical look at corporate practice from a legal recruiting agency.

Association of Corporate Counsel - National organization for in-house corporate counsel. Includes a job bank.

Criminal Law

American Prosectors Research Institute - Publications and information on topics in the field of prosecution.

Article from the American Bar Association on careers in public defense.

National Legal Aid and Defender Association - Includes links to a job board and information on student memberships.

National Black Prosecutors Association - Organization dedicated to increasing the presence of African-American members in the profession. Includes information on student memberships and the annual job fair.

Education

Education Law Association

Elder Law

Article on the future of Elder Law from the American Bar Association

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys - Includes information on joining the student section.

Employment Law

Employment Law - An Overview - Page from the Legal Information Institute on employment law, including links to pages about specific employment law topics.

Employment Law Information Network - Articles on employment law topics and a job bank.

National Employment Lawyers Association

Environmental Law

ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law Student Resources - Information for students on environmental law as a career, as well as links to scholarships and writing competitions.

EnvironmentalCAREER.com - Job listings for legal and non-legal jobs in the environmetal field.

Environmental Yellow Pages - Worldwide listings for environmental jobs.

International Environmental Law Career Profiles - Q&A with practitioners about their career paths.

Equine Law

Do You Want to Practice Equine Law? - Information and advice about the specialty from a practitioner.

Estates and Trusts

ABA Section of Real Property, Estate and Trust Law - Includes a link to the law student section.

Family Law

Family and Matrimonial Law - An overview of the practice area from Vault.com.

General


Choosing a Law Specialty: Who Are You and What Do You Want? - Advice on choosing a specialty from LawCrossing.com.

Legal Information Institute - Website hosted by Cornell Law School with information on various legal specialties and topics.

Lexis Legal Web Site Directory - Links to websites with information on a number of practice areas.

Practice Area - The Worldwide Practice of Law - Links to information on over 70 primary practice areas.

Government

Public agencies seek lawyers committed to their missions - Article from Student Lawyer magazine giving advice about how to get a job with a government agency.

Want a job with the government?  Here are resources to get you started - Article from Student Lawyer magazine on conducting a government job search.

Health Care

American Health Lawyers Association - Includes a national job bank, as well as information on the practice area.

Health Care Law Blog - News and commentary on health care law cases and developments in the field.

Immigration Law

Careers in Immigration Law - Article from the ABA giving an overview of the practice area. Includes link to ABA Immigration Law student sections.

The Road Less Traveled: Becoming an Immigration Attorney - Article written by a Harvard Law grad who chose to become an immigration attorney.

Intellectual Property

American Intellectual Property Law Association Student Center - Information on careers in IP law, scholarships, and memberships in the organization.

Intellectual Property Law Server - Links to news about IP developments and job listings.

International Trademark Association Student Member Benefits - Includes a link to a job bank for student members.

Is a career in intellectual property law for you? - Article from a legal recruiting company describing the various aspects of the practice.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Office of Enrollment and Discipline - Information on taking the patent bar and becoming a patent attorney.

International Law

American Society of International Law - Includes information on student memberships and career advice from professionals.

Relocating overseas - A look at what types of attorneys are in demand internationally, from a legal recruiting agency.

Military

U.S. Army JAG - Recruiting site with information on the program and summer internships.

Small Firms

Article on the qualities small firms look for in applicants.

Solo Practice

ABA General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm Law Student Division - Includes career information and advice on starting a practice.

Build a Solo Practice, LLC - Blog about issues involved in starting a solo practice.

FAQ about starting a solo practice - From a blog devoted to solo practitioners.

GPSolo - The General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm Section of the State Bar of Texas - Resources for attorneys in small or solo practice firms.

How You Cheaply Get Paying Clients in the Door of Your Virtual Law Firm - Article from a solo practioner on attracting clients without an office, but has good advice for all solo practitioners in getting business.

SOLOsez.net - ABA-sponsored mailing list for solo practitioners to exchange ideas and ask for advice.

Sports and Entertainment

Entertainment Jobs - Job and internship postings and career advice for the entertainment industry.

Ifcome.com - Job listings for the entertainment industry, including attorney positions.

The Sports Job Board - Job postings for positions in the sports industry.

Sports Lawyers Association

Suggestions on Getting Started in Entertainment Law - Advice from practicing attorneys in Texas.

TeamWork Online LLC - Links to current job openings and career advice for the sports industry.

Texas Music Office - List of attorneys in Texas with entertainment law practices.

Tax Law

TaxProfBlog - Blog on tax law topics and developments by a law school professor, with links to resources for practitioners and students in the field.

Alternative Careers

Not all J.D. graduates decide to practice law. In addition, some attorneys decide to move into non-practicing areas after a few years. Below are links to resources in some popular alternative fields for J.D. holders. This is by no means an exhaustive list of career options with a J.D., however. If you would like to explore your options outside the practice of law, please make an appointment to see a Career Services Counselor.

Alternative Careers In General

Switching Gears - Article from Texas Lawyer on law school grads who chose alternative careers.

Academia

The Chronicle of Higher Education - Articles about and job listings for university administrators and professors.

Human Resources

HR-Guide.com - Extensive list of links to information on every aspect of the field.

Law Librarianship

American Association of Law Librarians - Contains articles and information on the field, as well as a link to a job hotline.

Legal Recruiting

The National Association of Legal Search Consultants - Professional organization representing legal search professionals. The site offers a newsletter discussing marketing trends in the legal job market and the recruiting field.

Lobbying

Lobbying as a Career - From the University of California - San Diego.  Contains a list of resources and links for further information.

Real Estate

How to Become a Real Estate Agent - General career advice from About.com.
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