MajorsMajor
Law and legal studies: what you'd study and do
From public data · Every number cited
The short answer
Legal studies is the study of law: how courts work, how laws and contracts are written and read, and the rights people and businesses have. It's a bachelor's degree, not a law degree. To become a lawyer you go on to law school and pass a state's bar exam, and BLS says most law schools don't require any particular major. The major can also lead to work as a paralegal (often with a paralegal certificate) or a compliance officer.
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What you'd study
Every college's program is a little different. These are the kinds of classes most of them have.
How law works
Every college differs, but most legal studies programs start with an introduction to law and the courts, then legal research and writing: finding the law that applies and explaining it clearly. The US government's description of the major calls it the study of law and legal issues from the point of view of the social sciences and humanities.
Kinds of law
Then come classes on different kinds of law, such as constitutional rights, contracts and business law, property, lawsuits (civil litigation), criminal law, family law and employment law. Some programs end with a capstone class on legal thought.
Learning by doing
Some programs require an internship, so you see legal work up close before you decide on law school.
Jobs it leads to
Median pay means half the people in the job earn more and half earn less. Pay also changes with the place, the employer and experience.
Lawyers
A day at work
You explain the law to people and businesses and act for them. You read and write contracts, leases and other legal papers, research how similar cases turned out, gather evidence, advise clients whether to sue, settle or sign, and sometimes argue in court. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects about 28,700 openings a year
. The pay reflects law school and passing the bar exam, not the bachelor's degree alone. - Median pay
- $159,670
/year - Expected job growth
- 5%
The usual start
A law degree (a Juris Doctor) after a bachelor's degree, then passing the bar exam in the state where you'll work. BLS says it usually takes 7 years
of full-time study after high school. Numbers from bls.gov ·2025
Paralegals and legal assistants
A day at work
You help lawyers get the work done. You draft letters and legal papers, research laws and past cases, organize files and exhibits for a trial, meet with clients and file papers at the court. BLS expects little or no change in the number of jobs (0%
) from 2025 to 2035, but about 40,800 openings a year , mostly to replace people who leave. - Median pay
- $62,890
/year - Expected job growth
- 0%
The usual start
Usually an associate's degree or a certificate in paralegal studies. Some employers want a bachelor's degree, often in another field plus a paralegal certificate, and some train people on the job.
Numbers from bls.gov ·2025
Compliance officers
A day at work
You make sure a company or agency follows the laws and rules that apply to it. You read the rules, write the company's policies, check records, train staff and look into possible violations. BLS expects about 32,700 openings a year
and growth of 4% , about as fast as average. - Median pay
- $80,730
/year - Expected job growth
- 4%
The usual start
A bachelor's degree, often in business, social science or another field that fits the job, then on-the-job training. BLS says some employers prefer a legal background.
Numbers from bls.gov ·2025
How to read the growth numbers
BLS expects all US jobs together to grow 3.5%
The pay on each card is the median: half of the workers earn more and half earn less. Pay changes a lot by place, employer and experience.
The road to becoming a lawyer
A lawyer's road is long. BLS says it usually takes 7 years
You don't need this major to get into law school. BLS says most law schools don't require a specific bachelor's degree; common fields include law and legal studies, history and social science. Law schools may also look at your score on a national admission test.
Law school teaches subjects such as constitutional law, contracts, property law, the rules of lawsuits and legal writing, and law students may spend summers interning at law firms, government agencies or companies' legal departments. Then you take the bar exam, the licensing exam in the state where you'll practice. Each state sets its own rules; New York's are below.
Pay isn't everything
It's reading, writing and people. Among lawyers who answered the work survey of O*NET, the US Labor Department's database of jobs, 66%
People who tend to enjoy it like reading closely, arguing a point and solving problems with words. BLS lists analytical, research, problem-solving, communication and persuasion skills for lawyers, and attention to detail and organization for paralegals.
BLS says compliance officers sometimes work longer hours during an investigation, and paralegals may travel to a trial.
After graduating
We don't show a national pay figure for this major. The New York Fed's table of majors has no row for legal studies alone (its nearest row mixes in public policy), and a lawyer's pay depends on law school and the bar exam, not the bachelor's degree.
The College Scorecard, from the US Department of Education, shows what graduates of each college's programs earned a few years later. Read it with its own warnings: it counts only students who got federal grants or loans, it leaves out graduates who didn't work that year or went back to school (as many future lawyers do), and pay soon after college may not show pay later on. You can look up any college at collegescorecard.ed.gov.
Licenses and rules
Some rules depend on where you live. Check the official page for your state.
In New York, to take the bar exam you usually need a law degree from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. A mix of approved law school study and study in a law office, or a law degree from outside the US that meets the state's rules, are among the other routes. Other states set their own rules, so check your state's board of law examiners.
Check the official page(nybarexam.org)(opens in a new tab)Last checked
You don't need this major to work here
You don't need this major to become a lawyer: BLS says most law schools don't require a specific bachelor's degree. Paralegals usually start with an associate's degree or a certificate, and some are trained on the job. Compliance officers come from business, social science and many other fields.
Related majors
Also related: Political science, History, Philosophy, Criminal justice, English, Business administration.
Common questions
- Is legal studies the same as law school?
No. Legal studies is a bachelor's degree. Law school comes after a bachelor's degree, and it's the law degree, plus a state's bar exam, that lets you work as a lawyer.
- Do I need this major to go to law school?
No. BLS says most law schools don't require a specific bachelor's degree; law and legal studies, history and social science are common choices.
- Can I work in law without being a lawyer?
Yes. Paralegals and legal assistants do much of the research and paperwork, usually after an associate's degree or a certificate. Compliance officers work on following the rules inside companies and agencies.
- Is it like courtroom shows?
Mostly not. Much of the work is reading, writing and research: contracts, letters and filings. Lawyers do represent clients in court, but O*NET's task list shows how much time goes to research, advice and paperwork.
- Which college is best for legal studies?
We don't rank colleges. The College Scorecard lets you look up any college; read its warnings about who's counted.
- What do these jobs pay?
BLS's median was $159,670
/year bls.gov ·2025 for lawyers, who need law school and the bar exam, and $62,890 /year bls.gov ·2025 for paralegals and legal assistants in May 2025. Half earn more and half earn less, and pay changes a lot by place, employer and experience. Pay is one thing to weigh; how the work feels day to day is another.