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

Admiralty Law

Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee - Committee of the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section.

Adoption Law

Adoption and Child Welfare JobSite - job bank for professionals in the adoption and child welfare field, including attorneys and law students.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Animal Law

Center for Animal Law Studies - Resources and information on careers, scholarships, and courses for students interested in animal law.
Opportunities in Animal Law - packet detailing opportunities for law students and opportunities and information for legal professionals
So You Want to be an Animal Lawyer - helpful tips on pursuing a career in animal law from the Animal Defense Fund.
State Bar of Texas Animal Law Section - Includes information on annual CLE courses on animal law.

Antitrust

State Bar of Texas Antitrust and Business Litigation Section

Appellate Law

State Bar of Texas Appellate Section

Aviation Law

ABA Forum on Air and Space Law
Aviation Law Prof Blog - Blog on current issues in aviation law from an aviation law professor.
Lawyer Pilots Bar Association - International non-profit association of individuals who share a common interest in aviation, aviation safety and the 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.
State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Law Section

Business Law

ABA Business Law Section - Includes membership information and resources for students.
State Bar of Texas Business Law Section

Construction Law

State Bar of Texas Construction Law Section

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.
State Bar of Texas Corporate Counsel Section

Criminal Law

ABA Criminal Justice Section
D.A. Confidential - Blog by an Austin prosecutor about his job and the Texas criminal justice system.
FindLaw: Public Defenders by State - Links to public defender office websites by state.
How Do You Become an Assistant U.S. Attorney? - Article from ABA Young Lawyer.
List of Texas District Attorneys by County
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.
National District Attorneys Association - Publications and information on topics in the field of prosecution.
State Bar of Texas Criminal Justice Section

Education

Education Law Association

Elder Law

ABA Commission on Law and Aging
Elder Law Prof Blog - Blog on current issues in elder law from elder law professors.
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys - Includes information on joining the student section.

Employment and Labor Law

ABA Section of Labor and 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
State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment Law Section
Workplace Prof Blog - Blog on current issues in labor and employment law from labor and employment law professors.

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 environmental field.
Environmental Yellow Pages - Worldwide listings for environmental jobs.
International Environmental Law Career Profiles - Q&A with practitioners about their career paths.
State Bar of Texas Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section

Equine Law

Equine Law Blog

Estates and Trusts

ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law - Includes a link to the law student section.
State Bar of Texas Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section
Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog - Blog on current issues in the law from a wills, trusts and estates professor.

Family Law

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Family Law Prof Blog - Blog about current issues in family law from a family law professor.
Practice Insights: Family Law - Q&A with a family law attorney.
Pros and Quid Pro Quos - Article about family law attorneys from the Houston Business Journal.
State Bar of Texas Family Law Section

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.
OnlineLLM.org - Resource with information about post-graduate LL.M. programs.
Practice Area - The Worldwide Practice of Law - Links to information on over 70 primary practice areas.

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.
State Bar of Texas Health Law Section

Housing Law

International Law

American Society of International Law - Includes information on student memberships and career advice from professionals.
International Law Prof Blog - Blog on current issues in international law from international law professors.
International Law Students Association - Non-profit association of students and lawyers dedicated to the promotion of international law.
Relocating overseas - A look at what types of attorneys are in demand internationally, from a legal recruiting agency.
State Bar of Texas International Law Section

Media Law

Media Law Prof Blog - Blog on current legal issues related to the media from a media law professor.

Military

U.S. Air Force JAG
U.S. Air Force JAG Facebook – Several of the most recent updates are only shared on the Facebook site.
U.S. Army JAG
U.S. Marine Corps JAG
U.S. Navy JAG
ABA JAG Career Choice

Native American Law

Oil and Gas

The Institute for Energy Law - Sponsors conferences and continuing education for energy law professionals.
The State Bar of Texas Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section- Section membership is available to law students.

Politics/Public Policy

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
HillZoo.com - Job bank for Capitol Hill.
National Conference of State Legislatures - Includes a job bank.
World Directory of Think Tanks

Securities Law

Introduction to Securities Law - Broad overview of basic securities regulations.
Securities Law Practice - Overview of the practice area from About.com.
Securities Law Prof Blog - Blog about current issues in securities law from a securities law professor.

Solo/Small Firm Practice

ABA General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm Law Student Division- Includes career information and advice on starting a practice.
Solo Practice University - Blog about issues involved in starting a solo practice.
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 practitioner on attracting clients without an office, but has good advice for all solo practitioners in getting business.
MyShingle.com - Blog focusing on solo and small firm practice and marketing.
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.
SportsAgentBlog.com - Lists available internships with sports agencies.
The Sports Job Board - Job postings for positions in the sports industry.
Sports Law Blog - Discusses developments in the field of sports law.
Sports Lawyers Association
State Bar of Texas Entertainment and Sports Law Section
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 Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts - Organization that provides pro bono legal services to Texas artists; offers internships for students.
Texas Music Office - List of Texas attorneys with entertainment law practices.

Tax Law

State Bar of Texas Section of Taxation

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

60 Nontraditional Jobs You Can Do With a Law Degree

Academia

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

Compliance

Compliance Careers - Job bank.

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 Publishing

A J.D. in the World of Legal Publishing - Article on careers in legal publishing from LawCrossing.com.
LexisNexis Careers
Westlaw Jobs - Jobs with Thomson Reuters.

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.