Law and paralegal studies

Study options 

A law qualification is the first step to becoming a lawyer or other type of legal professional. Many students choose a Bachelor of Laws as a pathway to becoming a solicitor, barrister or judge, but there are also other study options to think about.  

Depending on the type of law, or the parts of the legal system that interest you, your studies could help you:  

• become a registered lawyer (a barrister or solicitor) or a paralegal (assisting lawyers) 
• have a specialist law career in criminal law, international law, civil law, public law, property law, business law, environmental law, human rights law or another law area 
• join law enforcement (like the police force, or customs and border security) 
• advise governments and other groups on creating or changing policies and laws  
• provide guidance and advice to victims of crime 
• assist disadvantaged groups in seeking fair outcomes 
• open up career options outside of traditional legal settings, like in the media, education, politics and business. 

Your studies could also help you gain skills that are valuable in any career, like researching, communicating clearly, and analysing and solving problems.  

If you have a strong sense of justice, you like working with others and you are willing to do in-depth research to find solutions, law might be a good career path for you.

Career options 

A career in law can be exciting and rewarding, and the hard work you put into your studies can really pay off. You could make an important contribution to society and you might enjoy an above-average salary too.  

Becoming a lawyer is the first career choice for many students, but your studies can lead to many different careers. You might work in:  

• the court/judicial system – in courtrooms as a barrister, judge, judge’s associate or court reporter 
• government – in community legal centres or for legal aid, helping disadvantaged groups like asylum seekers 
• the private sector – in law firms or businesses’ legal departments, focusing on various types of law, like commercial law, tax law and property law 
• the public sector – in organisations’ legal departments, providing advice on contracts and other things that need a legal perspective 
  
• research – in universities and the private sector, providing knowledge that can be used to create or update laws, policies and legislation 
  
• academia – in universities and other higher education settings, teaching others about the legal system. 

Some of the career options you can choose from include: 

• lawyer (barrister or solicitor) 
• judge 
• paralegal (assisting lawyers) 
• court or legal clerk 
• legal secretary 
• law librarian 
• conveyancer (focusing on property sales) 
• legislator. 

Because law is always evolving to keep up with the needs of society, you’ll be able to enjoy fresh challenges throughout your career – no matter which career you choose. 

Jobs in demand 

In Australia, demand for lawyers and legal professionals is stronger than ever. In fact, the demand for professionals in law is increasing rapidly.  

The number of judicial and legal jobs is expected to increase by 11% (or 1,400 jobs) between 2021 and 2026. 

There is strong demand for legal services in specialist areas, including: 

• mergers and acquisitions 
• tax 
• banking and finance 
• general corporate work. 
• There is also a major shortage of skilled professionals to fill new roles. This is good news for law graduates, who are likely to be employed soon after they graduate.  

In 2021, 54% of international graduates with an undergraduate law or paralegal degree were employed four months after graduating. For international graduates with a postgraduate qualification, 68.3% gained employment after their course. 

Find out more about jobs and salaries.