Is your dream to have a good-paying legal career without going to law school?
If this sounds like you, you’re in luck.
The legal field will always be around, and there will always be a need for paralegals, compliance officers, police officers, legal secretaries, and more.
Some of these jobs require you only to have a bachelor’s, while others require a certificate.
The best part is that you can still earn a nice salary and remain in the legal industry.
This guide will list several high-paying careers that you can pursue without a law degree.
Legal Careers Without a Law Degree
1. Legal Recruiter
Average Salary: $108,330
A legal recruiter is another career to consider if you don’t have a law degree.
Some legal recruiters may have started as attorneys or may even have gone to law school, but later decided not to practice law.
Some duties of a legal recruiter include:
- Assess and interview candidates
- Screen and source candidates
- Manage talent relationships
Legal recruiters may even find candidates by emailing or cold-calling.
Many recruiters work for a recruiting agency or law firm.
You may even start your own business.
While you won’t need any training or certification, you should consider obtaining a bachelor’s degree since most employers will only consider those who have one.
2. Legal Nurse Consultant
Average Salary: $98,278
Legal nurse consultants do not require you to have a law degree, and they pay well.
Attorneys consult with nurse consultants on cases that are related to healthcare.
As a legal nurse consultant, you will be an expert in healthcare or even nursing.
You will be an expert at providing information on various things, including medical malpractice, injury, illness, and workers’ comp.
You will play a vital role in helping to determine whether a legal case is legitimate and may be asked to testify during a trial.
While a law degree isn’t required to become a legal nurse consultant, you will need to have a two- or four-year degree in nursing in addition to certification and licensing that relate to your field.
Additionally, some legal nurse consultants have a master’s or PhD.
3. Compliance Officer
Average Salary: $89,500
Compliance officers not only work in the legal field, but they also work in insurance, finance, and healthcare.
They are responsible for the following:
- Educate and train employees on any changes or up-to-date compliance guidelines
- Conduct assessments regularly to determine whether guidelines adhere to the law
- Monitor guidelines and processes to ensure companies are complying with legal regulations
An example is that compliance officers must make sure that a healthcare company is current on its HIPAA policies.
Many compliance officers have advanced degrees but may also need to hold a license, especially if they wish to work in finance.
4. Contract Administrator
Average Salary: $71,947
Another career to consider in the legal field without a law degree is being a contract administrator.
The main goal of a contract administrator is to sign, write, review, create, and negotiate contracts for an organization or company.
Contract administrators must also adhere to all state, local, and federal guidelines while creating new contracts to make sure they don’t cause any legal breaches.
Contract administrators typically have a bachelor’s degree in finance or business.
Many also possess a master’s degree.
5. Legal Secretary
Average Salary: $60,563
Legal secretaries are similar to paralegals but differ in several ways.
Paralegals mainly focus on supporting attorneys with their legal duties, while legal secretaries focus more on administrative tasks.
For instance, legal secretaries may answer client calls and take care of visitors in a law office.
They also do the following:
- Process incoming mail
- Process client payments
- Scan, organize, and file documents
- Order office supplies
- Schedule appointments
If you wish to climb up the legal ladder, working as a legal secretary is a great place to start.
It introduces you to the legal field and is a great stepping stone to other careers, such as being a paralegal.
Many firms prefer legal secretaries who have a bachelor’s degree, while others only seek those who have a high school diploma.
6. Court Reporter
Average Salary: $60,380
Court reporters play an important role in hearings, depositions, and trials.
Some of the responsibilities of a court reporter include:
- Prepare transcripts for legal proceedings
- Be in attendance for hearings, depositions, and proceedings
- Provide translation in real-time for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Correctly document files with indexes
- Maintain the accuracy of notes
- Capture dialogue that is spoken during legal proceedings using special equipment
Transcripts are mostly used by attorneys as exhibits during legal proceedings.
Court reporters must type fast enough, usually 225 words per minute.
Court reporters usually enroll in a program at a technical or community college and are awarded a certificate.
7. Mediator
Average Salary: $60,045
Mediators are responsible for assisting parties that have disputes to resolve their conflicts without the interference of the court.
Mediators usually take on cases that have to do with interpersonal disagreements, contracts, or injuries.
They should have good problem-solving skills and the ability to take charge of negotiations.
Most mediators hold a law degree, but it’s possible to become a mediator with just a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
You may be able to find a school that offers mediation programs, although an alternative is earning a psychology degree.
Depending on the state you reside in, you may need additional licenses and certifications.
8. Police Officer
Average Salary: $59,621
Being a police officer may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is yet another high-paying career you can do without a law degree.
Police officers are considered public servants and have a main duty to enforce the law.
There are various types of police officers.
For instance, some police officers investigate crimes while others patrol certain areas.
Police officers even work alongside attorneys by assisting in gathering evidence in criminal cases.
Police officers only need a high school diploma, even though having a bachelor’s degree is highly preferred, especially if you go into specialized areas such as forensic science or criminal law.
9. Private Investigator
Average pay: $59,380
Private investigators are responsible for investigating legal issues involving a person or business.
Here are some of the main duties of a private investigator:
- Question witnesses and other parties to collect information
- Search public records and online databases to search for relevant information about a case
- Observe people or locations discreetly to collect evidence
- Document evidence by taking videos and photos to support the case
Most PIs can start with just a high school diploma, although many companies require you to have a bachelor’s degree.
For instance, if you are interested in obtaining a degree, you can pursue one in criminal justice, business management, computer forensics, or political science.
10. Social Worker
Average Salary: $58,939
Social workers assist people who are in dire need by providing them with resources that can help them better their lives.
Social work is huge.
Various categories fall into social work, such as helping mental health or disabled patients, working with poor individuals, children, and more.
Social workers have to analyze cases and advocate for individuals and families after listening to their stories.
They can then direct them to shelters and provide them with resources for food and clothing.
Social workers are heavily involved with legal professionals as they are often contacted regarding legal matters when it comes to mental health, neglect, and substance abuse.
At the least, social workers should have a bachelor’s degree in psychology or sociology.
In addition, you will be required to obtain the necessary state license.
11. Legal Writer
Average Salary: $57,379
Legal writers are also known as technical writers.
They work for law professionals writing about various legal issues.
Legal writers can fall into different categories.
For instance, some legal writers are in charge of reporting legal cases for magazines, newspapers, and more.
Some legal writers strictly write briefs.
Briefs are a summary of the different sides of each party in a legal case.
There are no set education requirements for legal writers.
Many have more than just a high school diploma, often majoring in journalism, communications, or English in college.
12. Title Examiner
Average Salary: $54,193
A career as a title examiner is also worth considering if you are looking to work in the legal field without a law degree.
Title examiners are responsible for:
- Interpreting and analyzing title documents
- Performing title searches
- Work with attorneys, lenders, real estate agents, and other professionals involved in related transactions
- Prepare title reports
Title examiners are sometimes referred to as title searchers.
They assist attorneys with many duties concerning real estate documents.
Many title examiners work for insurance companies, law firms, or real estate companies.
As a title examiner, you should have excellent research skills, a strong attention to detail, and be familiar with legal terms and concepts.
Title examiners should have a high school diploma and at least an associate’s degree with coursework in finance, real estate, and business administration.
5 Tips When Looking for the Highest Paying Legal Careers
When looking for the highest-paying careers in the legal field that don’t require you to have a law degree, keep these tips in mind:
1. Put Academic Success First
While many of the careers on the list don’t require you to have more than a high school diploma, salary ultimately depends on experience and education.
The more education you have, the better your chances are of landing a job and earning a higher salary.
With this being said, you should prioritize your academic success.
To enhance your academics, consider enrolling in tutoring for law school.
2. Network
Networking is a great way to build your reputation and let your presence be known.
When you network early on, you can land opportunities this way, thus making extremely valuable connections.
3. Develop Necessary Skills
Developing the necessary skills is essential to attracting clients.
For instance, business skills are essential to have in the legal field.
You can develop these skills by practicing different business development strategies.
To reach more people, you may even want to create a digital marketing engine.
4. Focus on High-Paying Areas
Another tip to keep in mind when trying to land a high-paying job in the legal field is to specialize in areas such as litigation, intellectual property, tax law, or corporate law.
This is key if you are considering becoming a paralegal.
If you have a specialty as a paralegal, you will earn a higher salary.
5. Think about Alternative Career Paths
There are several career paths out there in the legal field.
You don’t have to limit yourself to just a few.
If you want to earn as much as you can, consider exploring alternative career paths that offer more.
For instance, taking on a partnership for a couple of years may provide you with more options.
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