Law is one of the most popular and challenging fields that students opt for in their higher education. Many students dream to become lawyers in their country so they opt for different law degrees. When it comes to law programs, the majority of students understand criminal law, martial law, corporate law, etc., as major options to choose from. However, that’s not the case, the law field has vast specializations that students can explore depending on their area of interest. So, if you are planning to become a lawyer or pursue a law degree, you must explore different specializations to choose the best for you. This guide will help you with different fields of laws available for practice.
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Here are different law fields available for practice:
Corporate Law
The corporate law field puts light on the rules and regulations of MNCs, large organizations, or large businesses. Corporate lawyers or lawyers with specialization in corporate law focus on managing and handling business transactions, drafting contracts, ensuring legal compliance of companies, acquisitions, and forming and dissolving companies. These lawyers handle all legal aspects of large business organizations. From resolving disputes to protecting the interest of the company. The lawyers either work under large law firms or directly under companies for managing legal administration.
Bankruptcy Law
Bankruptcy law deals with companies or organizations that filed bankruptcy or owe someone. The lawyers who specialize in bankruptcy law represent the debtor who has filed for bankruptcy or the creditors whom the debtors owe. Bankruptcy is filed when the debtor might not be able to pay, so lawyers draft motions and review financial documents. In addition, lawyers must have knowledge of tax codes, consumer finance, securities, and contracts to represent clients in court.
Family and Juvenile Law
The family law field focuses on laws for relationships between families, people, etc. The family layers deal with divorce, child welfare, domestic abuse, adoption, prenuptial agreement, child support, and more. This field is one of the popular fields that deal with important aspects of law. Many lawyers specialize in family and Juvenile law, practice independently or work under law firms. In this law field, lawyers must understand divorce, conflict, and child custody.
Criminal Law
This field of law is extremely popular and widely known because of news channels and the entertainment industry where criminals and lawyer stories are portrayed. So, most people are intrigued to specialize in criminal law. As the name suggests, the specializations explore the rules, regulations, and other factors of crimes in a country. Under this specialization, you either represent the individual with criminal charges as a public or private prosecutor or represent the individual who faces criminal charges.
Commercial Law
Every business, shop, or commercial sector falls under commercial laws to follow different compliance. Lawyers who specialize in commercial law have to deal with drafting contracts, making sure the interest of clients is protected, and all the official requirements of a business are followed. Any dispute or conflict between partners or within the company that might lead to legal issues should be handled by a commercial lawyer.
Entertainment Law and Sports Law
Entertainment law can also be part of intellectual property rights but in the entertainment area. The law deals with rights and royalties in media including films, music, tv shows, dialogues, etc. Any dispute in these matters that take legal terms or contracts is handled by entertainment lawyers. Sports law is the field that protects the rights of an athlete or sports personalities. Sports lawyers can represent athletes for contracts or contractual transactions.
Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property refers to intangible assets for any company or individual which include patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc. Intellectual property law protects the legal rights of workers or innovations of an organization, business, or individual. Lawyers work in areas of patent law, copyright law, trademark law, etc. The lawyers must have an understanding of technicalities, and intellectual properties to protect and represent the client legally in these matters.
Civil Rights Law
Civil rights law deals with a balance between individual liberties and governmental powers. The cases under civil rights can include discrimination, police brutality, first amendment rights, religious rights, etc. Civil rights lawyers usually take on a few cases here and there for free or on payment while they practice in other areas. However, some lawyers who work regularly in this field work under large law firms that deal with civil rights cases specifically.
Education Law
Educational law field deals with rights, rules, and regulations of laws for educational agencies, school, and college disputes, and individuals who are fighting against educational premises for their rights. The lawyers can represent the government or private educational institutions or individuals who claim against educational institutions. Some of the common cases or areas in educational law include education policies, student discipline, tuition fraud, fees, etc.
Environmental law
Environmental law deals with state, national, and international laws dealing with preserving and managing natural resources. People who are offering environmental law specialization work with welfare organizations, public agencies, and related organizations. To protect wildlife, nature, and related aspects, there are different laws prevalent at national and international laws.
Employment and Labour Law
Employment and labor laws protect the rights of people who are working under someone. The lawyers who specialize in this area handle issues like discrimination, workplace safety, child labor laws, sexual harassment, disputes over wages, unlawful terminations, etc. Employment and labor law lawyers can represent government agencies, businesses, workers’ unions, job candidates, people who work for public organizations, etc.
Healthcare Law
Healthcare law deals with rules, and regulations related to healthcare. Lawyers specialized in healthcare represent practitioners, healthcare agencies, institutions, and more. The cases involved in healthcare law include medical malpractice, wrongful death, medicine cases, etc. Lawyers are hired by practitioners, hospitals, and government agencies to implement and enforce health policies.
Immigration Law
This field of law deals with the relocation of people from one country to another. Lawyers who are specialized in immigration law deal with immigration rules and regulations of a country. The lawyers work for private firms, and government agencies, or work independently for different roles and responsibilities. Lawyers specialized in immigration law help with paperwork, coordination, research, international documentation, permits, etc. Having knowledge of different languages can be a great advantage for immigration lawyers.
International Law
International law is a broad term that focuses on public and private sector laws at the international level. When two or more nations are involved in a case, international law comes into the picture. International law specialization allows lawyers to represent countries at the international level in international courts. The lawyers can be hired by government agencies or private firms for international cases.
Military Law
Military law focuses on the code of conduct and procedures of the armed forces. Any conflicts, malpractice, or unlawful activities within or related to armed forces include under military law. Lawyers can represent an individual from an army background, armed forces, organization, or person making the claim.
Real Estate Law
Real estate law deals with properties, wills, contracts, sale and purchase agreements, and more. Lawyers specialized in real estate law can deal with property owners or buyers for forming drafts, leasing, etc. The lawyers can work under a law firm, or real estate company, or work independently.
Animal Law
The Animal Law field protects the rights of animals who are subjected to inhumane activities or cruelty. So, animal welfare organizations or allies that represent them or serve their lives consult animal lawyers. The animal lawyer has to fulfill different roles and responsibilities of protecting animal rights legally and defending endangered species, and domesticated animals against cruel practices.
Personal Injury Law
Personal injury law is a field that deals with people complaining or claiming physical or psychological damage due to intentional activity or action, or negligence by an individual or an entity. Different legal cases in personal injury law include wrongful death, workplace injuries, medical malpractice, liability, automobile collision, etc. Lawyers can represent the individual who is claiming the loss or they can represent the entity, or individual facing the claim.
Constitutional Law
Constitutional law is a field that deals with following, interpretation, and amendment in the Constitution. The lawyers represent the clients in the court for citizen rights. Presenting arguments in front of the supreme court is the highest remark for the lawyers specializing under this law.
Elder Law
Elder law deals with protecting the rights of vulnerable elders who face issues during their old age. Lawyers who specialize in elder law can help in planning estate wills, guardianship changes, and other aspects. Common problems that lawyers in elder law come across include Medicaid, discrimination in health care, family issues, and more. Many elders face violence in their old age, so lawyers have to protect their rights legally. Lawyers can work for public welfare organizations, nonprofits, or private firms.
Tax Law
Lawyers specialized in this area focus on taxes, tax laws, and helping clients reduce their tax liabilities. It’s important to have an understanding of different taxes and tax codes.
Final Thoughts
These are some of the main law fields where students can specialize. Each field has its own rules, regulations, complexities, and challenges. Lawyers must have deep knowledge and understanding of their respective fields to represent their clients in court and protect their interests. Students who are currently pursuing law degrees can choose from these law fields to practice and work.
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