Law & Legal Services

There are a wide variety of career paths available within Law & Legal Services —from work at law firms, to public interest and government agencies, to corporate law and academia, to private practice. There are also many specialties such as intellectual property, tax, health, and immigration law. The bulk of a lawyer’s work involves research and writing; being adept at both is critical to this job.  In addition, there is a substantial amount of reading and digestion of information involved with the role. In order to practice law in the U.S., (for those individuals who attend law school in the U.S.) a J.D. degree is required as well as passing the Bar examination in the state in which an individual plans to practice.

To learn more about various law careers, visit the robust prelaw portal built by the National Association for Law Placement and the many law career guides offered through OCS’ subscription to Career Insider, powered by Vault. You may also want to explore the possibilities of lobbying, public service consulting, and think tanks.

For students interested in pursuing a law degree, see graduate degree resources.

 

What are Different Types of Practice Settings?


It is important to explore the diverse variety of opportunities within law and understand how the required skills and day to day tasks in a field of law may or may not be a good fit for you.

 

Career Resources

AdvanceCT and the Governor’s Workforce Council have partnered with UpperCampus, a leading technology company in career readiness software, to design …

Explore Job Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Search continually updated U.S. market trends to learn about job types (job functions), growth trends, and desired skills. The results will include general information about each job (functional area), employment trends from the past two years and projections for the next 10 years, employers that have that role, desired education level, skills for the position, and more!

TWO WAYS TO SEARCH:

  1. Find Career Data by Selecting Keywords: Enter keywords of various job titles and choose a state or search nationwide to learn more about that job.
  2. Filter by Industry and Occupation: Search by industry and choose among popular occupations/job titles within that industry.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Community Spotlights

YC Career Outcomes

The Office of Career Strategy collects information about Yale College graduates. This tool allows users to search outcomes by year and major. Please visit Statistics & Reports for detailed reports.

Helpful Tips on using the Interactive Tool:

  • There is no Enter or Submit Button  Results will appear automatically with your selections
  • Choose ‘All Years’ or ‘All Majors’- For results across years and majors or check one for more granular results.
    • Default results will show the most recent Class Year.
    • Uncheck the selected major(s) to reset your search.
    • To ensure student confidentiality, results are only reported in the aggregate and more granular data is not available through this public tool.
    • The tool will return results with at least five responses. If you require additional information contact the Office of Career Strategy
    • First Destination Summaries are based on the knowledge rate of graduate outcomes six months after graduation under the guidelines set by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Most Recent Class Overview

Knowledge Rate Success Rate Mean Starting Salary Top Five Industries
86.8% of those graduating between July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021 96.9% employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation $76,359 among graduates employed in the United States. Financial Services, Education, Technology, Consulting, and Healthcare

 

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Employment Industry and Function
  • Size of the Organization
  • Starting Salary
  • Time of Year Offer Received
  • Internships, Research, and Study Abroad Experiences
  • First Destination Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Advanced Degrees Pursued

First Destination

First Destination refers to the postgraduate plans of Yale College graduates six months after graduation. The pursuits of Yale graduates include employment, graduate school, independent research, military service, and more.

CONTACT & LOCATION

Phone
(203) 432-0803
Address

55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl.
New Haven, CT 06510

SERVICE HOURS

Academic Year Summer Hours
M 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
T 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
W 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
TH 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
F 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm

The office is closed weekends, holidays, and recess days.