# Waht to do with a JD besides practice law? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979 "2008-01-25T17:15:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/1 "2008-01-25T17:15:49Z")
What can you do with a law degree besides being a practicing attorney? A friend thinks I should go to law school so that I can do legal research and writing. But what else does a JD qualify you to do? What other options are there? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/2 "2008-01-25T17:31:25Z")
There are whole books on the subject, such as [**The Lawyer’s Career Change Handbook**](http://www.amazon.com/Lawyers-Career-Change-Handbook-Updated/dp/0380795728/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201282144&sr=1-1) and [**America’s Greatest Places To Work With A Law Degree**](http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Greatest-Places-Degree-Matter/dp/0159001803/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201282144&sr=1-2). They’ll cover the subject in much greater depth that we could hope to on a message board. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/3 "2008-01-25T17:45:55Z")
Purely anecdotal, but I’ve heard from a number of people who went through law school that the _only_ reason to do so is to practice law. Otherwise, I’ve been told, all that time, effort and money devoted to a very narrow application would be better spent elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/4 "2008-01-25T17:58:01Z")
Lots of lawyers become politicians. I know one dude with a JD who became a CPA. Yes, he’s a lawyer _and_ an accountant. If it weren’t for his hobby of hang-gliding, he’d probably be the world’s most boring human. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/5 "2008-01-25T18:05:10Z")
[QUOTE=Max Torque] There are whole books on the subject, such as [**The Lawyer’s Career Change Handbook**](http://www.amazon.com/Lawyers-Career-Change-Handbook-Updated/dp/0380795728/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201282144&sr=1-1) and [**America’s Greatest Places To Work With A Law Degree**](http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Greatest-Places-Degree-Matter/dp/0159001803/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201282144&sr=1-2). They’ll cover the subject in much greater depth that we could hope to on a message board. [/QUOTE] Aha! That’s exactly the kind of resource I need! ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/6 "2008-01-25T18:10:47Z")
I have a friend with a JD who also teaches school band. Lawyering is her side job. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/7 "2008-01-25T21:19:07Z")
Law librarians tend to have both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Library & Information Science, but I don’t know if either is actually required. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/8 "2008-01-25T21:25:24Z")
I second Max Torques recommendations. I’ve read both books, they’re very interesting. The first non-lawyer JD job that came to mind: be an FBI agent. I would have applied when I left the federal courts, but I’m color blind. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/9 "2008-01-25T21:34:24Z")
[QUOTE=niblet\_head] A friend thinks I should go to law school so that I can do legal research and writing. [/QUOTE] Can you expound on this? I don’t understand why your friend thinks this would be a useful skill outside the practice of law, and knowing that reasoning would help the recommendations a little. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/10 "2008-01-25T21:34:59Z")
I’m ashamed to admit that I failed a university course once - a course on tax accounting taught by a charming lady who after many years of practicing family law, decided to become an accountant to spice things up - all this on top of an MA. > [@](#): > > The first non-lawyer JD job that came to mind: be an FBI agent. I would have applied when I left the federal courts, but I’m color blind. Just to clarify, you are talking about something other than being a LAWYER for the FBI, that also requires a law degree? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/11 "2008-01-25T22:05:34Z")
[QUOTE=Throatwarbler Mangrove] Just to clarify, you are talking about something other than being a LAWYER for the FBI, that also requires a law degree? [/QUOTE] No, he means being an agent. Dana Scully (fictional, I know) was an MD and medical examiner before becoming an agent. Not _all_ of them are constantly getting in firefights while wearing blue jackets and so on, you know. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/12 "2008-01-25T22:09:32Z")
[QUOTE=Throatwarbler Mangrove] Just to clarify, you are talking about something other than being a LAWYER for the FBI, that also requires a law degree? [/QUOTE] Special Agent for the FBI, under the Special Agent Entry Program: Law. It’s one of the five entry programs for Special Agents, the others being Accounting, Computer Science/Information Technology, Language, and Diversified. The Law program requires that the applicant possess a JD degree from an accredited law school. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/13 "2008-01-25T22:30:32Z")
You can work as a legislative aid, committee counsel, or something like that in Government. (sort of practicing law) You could be a clerk for a judge (sort or practicing law). You could teach ConLaw at a high school or Community College. You can do anything in any field and just enjoy the fact that you have a JD degree. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/14 "2008-01-25T22:40:08Z")
Wow, a thread in which I’m a qualified expert! (IWTGLSWDGAPTNYBBIANAPA[sup]\*\*[/sup]) My wife and I run a communications consultancy—editorial and graphic design—that specializes in non-profits. While I had something of an analytical background before law school (major in econ and philosophy, minor in environmental science), it pales in comparison to what I graduated with. Think about it—how many times do you hear that law school doesn’t teach the law, it teaches how to think like a lawyer? While making 2-300 page reports conform to proper usage and style is one thing, returning documents with high-caliber _substantive_ input is quite another, and quite a competitive edge. It’s only been a few years so far; our long-term goal is to get into content creation, another field that will benefit from the background. Rhythm [sup]\*\*[/sup]I Went to Georgetown Law School With Doper [Gadarene](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) And Passed The New York Bar But I Am Not A Practicing Attorney ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/15 "2008-01-25T22:57:59Z")
[QUOTE=Ace309] Can you expound on this? I don’t understand why your friend thinks this would be a useful skill outside the practice of law, and knowing that reasoning would help the recommendations a little. [/QUOTE] I’m afraid I don’t understand your question. Could you rephrase? ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/16 "2008-01-25T23:07:45Z")
What benefit is being able to do legal research and writing if you’re planning not to produce legal research and writing? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/17 "2008-01-25T23:31:51Z")
[QUOTE=Ace309] What benefit is being able to do legal research and writing if you’re planning not to produce legal research and writing? [/QUOTE] After getting my MBA (seemed more versatile than a JD) and working as a mangement consultant in the Big-4 I thought about going back for a JD. I ended up working for a litigation consulting firm. Turns out there’s a whole industry of litigation related support services: Litigation consulting. Google “litigation or dispute consulting” or look at the litigation or dispute practices at any large consulting/accounting firm. Litigation related software and support products Compliance professionals ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/18 "2008-01-25T23:46:56Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] Compliance professionals [/QUOTE] In my experience, compliance professionals are usually paralegals, but I suppose it depends what sort of compliance you’re talking about. I must say, this thread is mighty enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/19 "2008-01-26T01:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=Ace309] What benefit is being able to do legal research and writing if you’re planning not to produce legal research and writing? [/QUOTE] Because the _legal_ aspects of it are actually quite minimal and eminently fungible. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979/20 "2008-01-26T03:58:39Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] In my experience, compliance professionals are usually paralegals, but I suppose it depends what sort of compliance you’re talking about. I must say, this thread is mighty enlightening. [/QUOTE] A friend and former colleague of mine is looking for “compliance” jobs at investment banks. She used to perform legal and industry research for the senior management in our firm. I would suggest actually passing the bar and practicing law for about 2 years or so if you get a JD and then do something else. But basically, you want to leverage the two things a JD gives you - knowledge of the law / litigation industry and an ability to read through the minutia of large amounts of documents. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waht-to-do-with-a-jd-besides-practice-law/434979.md?page=2)