Understanding the Different Fields of Law

There are many legal fields you can pursue, and as our world changes, more areas of focus are opening up all the time. Law touches every part of our lives, and depending on what you’re passionate about, you can find a field that allows you to make a difference. Here are just some of the fields of law that are available to you.

Fields of Law to Study

Animal Law

Animal law is the study and practice of law relating to animals. As an animal rights lawyer, you’d apply the legal system to speak for animals and their human associates and allies. That might mean taking on those who exploit animals, defending animal rights activists, or campaigning for the legal status and rights of animals. Animal rights attorneys often work for:

• Animal rights organizations

• Law firms

Civil Rights

Civil rights law deals with the balance of governmental power and individual liberties. Although this is a small and competitive field, many lawyers whose main practices are in other fields serve as civil rights lawyers by taking cases on a pro bono (without a charge or fee) basis. Full-time civil rights attorneys often work for:

• Nonprofit organizations

• Public interest law firms

• Large law firms with diverse practices

Corporate Law

Corporate law focuses on helping clients conduct business efficiently and in accordance with the law. The responsibilities of a corporate lawyer range from preparing a business’ initial articles of incorporation to handling a corporate reorganization under the provisions of federal bankruptcy law. Corporate law practice areas include:

• Contracts

• Intellectual property

• Legislative compliance

• Liability matters

You can hear real lawyers talk about their work in corporate law on the I Am The Law podcast.

Criminal Law

Criminal law focuses on the fundamental issues of the law and personal liberties. Lawyers in this field defend many of the basic rights that are crucial to the preservation of a free and just society. There are two main types of criminal law lawyers:

• Criminal defense lawyers, who represent clients accused of crimes

• Prosecutors and district attorneys, who represent the interests of the state in prosecuting those accused of crimes

You can learn more about the work of public defenders and prosecutors on I Am The Law, a podcast about law jobs.

Education Law

Education law generally focuses on counseling school districts or other educational agencies. Some education lawyers may represent parents of children with special needs, or they might represent students contesting expulsion against a school district. Education law practice areas include:

• Student residency

• Governance issues

• Personnel issues

• Tuition fraud

• Student discipline

• Special education law

• Development of educational policies

Listen to the I Am The Law podcast to hear real lawyers talk about their work in education law.

Employment and Labor Law

Employment and labor law focuses on addressing the legal rights of workers and their employers. In this field, you might represent an individual employee, a group of employees, job applicants, a union, union employees, government workers, a business, a government agency, or interest groups. Employment and labor law practice areas include:

• Wage disputes

• Unlawful terminations

• Child labor

• The right to unionize

• Workplace safety

• Sexual harassment

• Race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and disability discrimination

You can hear today’s lawyers talk about their work in labor and employment law on the I Am The Law podcast.

Environmental and Natural Resources Law

Environmental and natural resources law focuses on the legal and regulatory issues relating to natural resources. As an environmental and natural resources lawyer, you might work directly for governmental agencies, public interest groups, or organizations concerned about protecting the environment. Practice areas for this field of law include:

• Air and water quality

• Hazardous waste practice

• Natural gas transportation

• Oil and gas exploration and development

• Electric power licensing

• Energy trade regulations

• Mining

• Public land use

To hear real lawyers talk about their work in environmental law, check out the I Am The Law podcast.

Family and Juvenile Law

Family and juvenile law focuses on the relationships between people in a family context. Many lawyers in this field are members of small firms or practice law on their own. Family and juvenile law practice areas include:

• Adoptions

• Child support

• Domestic abuse

• Divorce

• Prenuptial agreements

You can learn more about real lawyers’ work in family law via the I Am The Law podcast.

Health Law

Health law focuses on regulations that affect the health care industry and its patients. As a health lawyer, you might represent hospitals, physician groups, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), individual doctors, universities, and many other clients. Health law practice areas include:

• Medicare policy and compliance

• Public health policy

• Biomedicine and telemedicine

• Mergers and acquisitions

• Risk management

• Bioethics and clinical ethics

Real lawyers have talked about their work in health care law on the I Am The Law podcast.

Immigration Law

Immigration law focuses on the legal issues and policies relating to immigrants who come to the United States on a temporary or permanent basis. An immigration lawyer may work for the government, a law firm, a community-based organization, or in-house for a company employing immigrants. Practice areas in immigration law include:

• Asylum and refugee law

• Business immigration law

• Criminal and deportation defense

You can hear practicinglawyers talk about their work in immigration law on the I Am The Law podcast.

Intellectual Property Law

Intellectual property law focuses on the protection of discoveries, creations, and identifying marks for inventors, authors, and businesses. These lawyers usually specialize in a specific practice area; these include:

• Patent law

• Copyright law

• International trade negotiations

You can hear real lawyers talk about their work in intellectual property law on the I Am The Law podcast.

International Law

International law focuses on the legal implications of travel across borders for business, tourism, and permanent residence. Fluency in other languages or familiarity with other cultures can be an advantage if you want to practice in the international arena. There are two main types of international law:

• Public international law, which works with national governments, international institutions, and public interest groups

• Private international law, which provides extensive opportunities with law firms, corporations, banks, and telecommunications firms

Municipal Law

Municipal law is law specific to a particular city or county (known legally as a "municipality") and the government bodies within those cities or counties. This field can cover a wide range of issues, including police power, zoning, education policies, and property taxes. Most attorneys who handle municipal law cases are hired by the municipalities themselves. Related practice areas include:

• Land-use law

• Real estate topics, such as property taxes and zoning

• Small-business law

Real Estate Law

Real estate law focuses on issues relating to land. Some real estate lawyers focus on litigation issues, while others tackle contractual issues around land and property. Real estate law practice areas include:

• Land and building ownership

• Rights to possess and use land or buildings

• Sale and purchase of real property

• Landlord-tenant issues

• Development of real property

• Compliance with local, state, or national regulations

You can hear real lawyers talk about their work in real estate law on the I Am The Law podcast.

Securities Law

Securities law focuses on the formation, organization, and financing of corporations. This is a complex area of law that almost always requires the services of a specialist. Practice areas include:

• Stocks

• Mergers

• Acquisitions

• Corporate takeovers

Sports and Entertainment Law

Sports law focuses on the legal aspects of both amateur and professional sports. At the amateur level, sports lawyers work with athletes, donors, colleges, and universities. At the professional level, sports lawyers serve as agents to individual players or represent team owners. Sports law practice areas include:

• Contract and antitrust issues

• Title IX compliance

Similarly, entertainment law focuses on assisting clients with employment law issues and contract negotiations and disputes. Entertainment law practice areas include:

• Employment law

• Intellectual property law

• Compensation and royalties disputes

Today’s lawyers talk about their work in sports and entertainment law on the I Am The Law podcast.

Tax Law

Tax law focuses on the regulations set in place by the federal Internal Revenue Code. This field of law changes constantly, and lawyers in this field are challenged to stay current with each new development. Tax law practice areas include:

• Income taxes

• Capital gains taxes

• Tax evasion

Listen to the I Am The Law podcast to hear real lawyers talk about their work in tax law.

« Back to Explore Law