Written by Shaneequa Parker, JD, MPA, MSW, CDP/CDE
Updated May 8, 2026
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- A career in law allows you to specialize in various areas such as corporate, civil, criminal and constitutional law, among others, catering to different interests and skill sets.
- Each legal concentration has a unique focus and set of requirements, such as an intellectual property lawyer needing technical knowledge, or an immigration lawyer benefitting from bilingualism.
- Careers in law aren’t confined to traditional courtroom scenarios, as some specializations like environmental, military, international, municipal or animal law, cater to specific niches and advocate for various rights and interests.
If you’re considering a career as a lawyer or another legal expert, you have several options based on the type of cases and clients you’d like to work with. Areas of law can focus on specialties ranging from civil rights and environmental regulations to criminal or commercial litigation. Learning about the various fields you can pursue can help you choose a specialization that suits your interests and unique skill set.In this article, we explore 29 areas of law by discussing their focuses and primary duties.
Find your next job more quickly
Job seekers who use Indeed Career Scout are 38% more likely to get hired.
Learn moreSource: Indeed test data, US, May 2025, based on the average hires per apply
Areas of law to explore
If you’re interested in a career in the legal field, here are some areas of law that you may want to consider:
1. Corporate law
Corporate law is a broad area focusing on the legal issues that affect businesses. This specialization concentrates primarily on forming, managing and dissolving commercial transactions, acquisitions and mergers. Corporate lawyers typically work directly for organizations or in larger law firms. Understanding employment, contracts, bankruptcy and taxes laws can help people interested in this area of law qualify for a position.Related: How To Become a Corporate Lawyer
2. Civil law
Civil law concerns the private relations between community members rather than the criminal legal system. A lawyer in this field might oversee a case when a car accident victim sues the driver at fault. Other types of civil cases involve divorce, contract disputes and class action cases.Related: Criminal vs. Civil Law: Key Differences Between the Two
3. Criminal law
Criminal law relates to fundamental legal issues and the personal liberties of citizens. Criminal defense attorneys represent individuals accused of committing a crime, while prosecutors and district attorneys represent the state or federal government. Regardless of their role, people in this area of law often manage cases regarding behaviors that may violate local or national criminal codes.Related: Criminal Law: What It Is and 8 Specializations To Consider
4. Constitutional law
Constitutional law focuses on cases that involve interpreting, following or amending the United States Constitution. Lawyers may practice privately or for law firms and strive to argue a case before the Supreme Court. Common duties for these lawyers include meeting with clients they represent and litigating in court issues related to citizens’ rights.Related: What Is Constitutional Law? Definition, Importance and Jobs
5. Administrative law
Administrative law focuses on the activities of federal and state agencies. Administrative lawyers play an important role in telecommunications, the economy and social issues by managing cases related to the executive branch of government.
6. Business law
Business law concerns the establishment of companies and their legal operation. Business lawyers perform duties such as creating contracts, overseeing the sale and distribution of goods and settling claims.
7. Intellectual property law
Intellectual law protects an individual or company’s legal rights regarding their creative works. Subcategories within this legal area include:
- Patent law:Â This area of law governs discoveries and inventions.
- Trademark law:Â Trademark law relates to logos and brand names.
- Copyright law:Â This area governs artistic works, such as movies, music and books.
Because of the need for technical knowledge, many patent lawyers have a background in technology or science. Individuals in this field often consult with clients who believe someone used their intellectual property without obtaining proper copyrights. A client might also hire an intellectual property lawyer before using another company’s work to ensure their legal compliance.Related: How To Become an Intellectual Property Lawyer
8. Environmental law
Environmental law concerns transnational, federal and state laws, conventions, regulations, treaties and statutes that involve preserving and managing natural resources. People in this area of law often work for individuals, advocacy organizations or government agencies. An environmental law attorney may work on air and water quality, mining, deforestation and pollution cases.
9. Banking and finance law
Banking and finance law focuses on the activities of banks and lending institutions. These lawyers advise clients about regulatory or lending compliance, payment systems and data security. Lawyers might represent financial organizations regarding issues related to consumer compliance and contracts.
10. Bankruptcy law
People specializing in bankruptcy law serve as representatives of debtors who have incurred debt, or creditors, who are people who debtors owe. A debtor might file for bankruptcy if they can’t repay their debt. Bankruptcy lawyers often draft motions and review financial documents outside the courtroom. Understanding securities, tax codes, contracts and consumer finance can help you excel in this field.
11. Civil rights law
Civil rights law focuses on the balance between individual liberties and governmental powers. Civil rights attorneys working full-time in this area often find employment with large law firms, public interest law firms or nonprofit organizations. Cases may include housing discrimination, police brutality, voting and religious or First Amendment rights.
12. Family law
Family law focuses on the relationships between people and their families. They manage cases involving prenuptial agreements, divorce, domestic abuse, child support, adoption and child welfare proceedings. In this profession, duties may include drafting custody agreements and protective orders for social service agencies, determining and arranging court-ordered child support or arranging the immigration process for international adoptions.
13. Employment law
Employment law focuses on the relationship between an employee and their employer. Cases may focus on issues regarding:
- Discrimination due to disability, age, sexual orientation, gender or race
- Sexual harassment
- Workplace safety
- Unlawful terminations
- Disputes over wages
Related: What Is Employment Law? (With Key Terms and Examples)
14. Immigration law
This area of law relates to the international relocation of people and their path toward citizenship. Immigration lawyers typically work for private law firms specializing in immigration, nonprofit organizations or government agencies. Bilingualism often is valuable in this field because it allows lawyers to communicate with clients, prepare deportation paperwork, coordinate necessary citizenship or immigration documents and obtain international documentation.
Video: How to Become an Immigration Lawyer
Follow Michael, an immigration lawyer and solo practitioner in NYC, as he navigates his workday. From handling emergency client calls to explaining the pros and cons of running your own law firm, you’ll get an inside look at this demanding career.
15. Personal injury law
Personal injury law focuses on legal issues where people claim they sustained psychological or physical damage because of the intentional actions or negligence of an entity or another person. Individuals in this field often work on cases involving workplace injury, wrongful death, product liability, automobile collisions or medical malpractice.
16. Tax law
Lawyers in this area primarily work to help clients reduce tax liabilities. Others ensure people adhere to local, state, federal and international tax laws. As a lawyer in this field, you may work for individuals, corporations or businesses. Using your knowledge of fiscal policies and government regulations, you can help clients understand tax codes or provide counsel if they violate tax law.
17. Military law
Military law focuses on the governing procedures and codes of the armed forces, also known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice. These lawyers often work on cases in any branch of the military in civil or criminal cases. Individuals in this field are usually military members and serve in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
18. International law
International law is a broad legal area with the public and private sectors. International lawyers in the public sector often work cases that involve other nations, foreign public interest groups or other international organizations. Private-sector international lawyers work in large corporations’ trade and finance divisions, often with banks, telecommunications companies or other law firms.
19. Municipal law
Municipal laws are specific to municipalities, counties and cities. Municipal government bodies govern property taxes, education policies, zoning and police power. Municipalities often hire specialized attorneys to represent the governing body in issues like zoning, education, policing and property taxes. They also manage cases about small business laws, real estate and land use. Attorneys that specialize in this field also draft policy and legislation.
20. Animal law
This field of law includes defending animals or people who oversee animals. Within this legal specialty, you can work as an animal rights lawyer for a law firm or an animal rights organization. Your work might involve defending activists, protecting endangered species and exposing inhumane animal practices. Besides legal courses, classes related to biology and zoology can provide you with the basic knowledge to help you succeed in this role.Related: How To Become a Lawyer for Animals
21. Education law
Education law focuses on legal issues related to educational agencies and school districts. Many education lawyers represent the parents of children who have a case against an institution or school district. Some common focus areas within this specialty include special education law, student discipline, education policies, tuition fraud, issues with personnel and student residency.
22. Elder law
Elder law focuses on protecting the rights of vulnerable older adults when planning or executing their wills, estates or guardianship changes. Common issues these lawyers work with include Medicare, Medicaid, employment discrimination and healthcare. These lawyers may also work for nonprofits to advocate for older adults with disabilities or other challenges. They often work to ensure their clients aren’t subject to exploitation or rights violations based on age or mental state.
23. Entertainment law
Entertainment law focuses on the royalties and rights related to movies, music, television and other art forms. Because these areas can differ greatly, attorneys in this field often distinguish themselves as experts in one specialty. Entertainment lawyers often stay current with the latest technological changes to help them understand issues with social media or other online forums. Their work also may include helping to solve contract disputes or wrongful termination cases.Related: What Does an Entertainment Lawyer Do? (With Duties and Career Steps)
24. Sports law
This area of law focuses on the sports industry. Clients may include athletes or organizations at the professional, amateur or youth levels. A sports lawyer can oversee cases involving contracts, labor relations, intellectual property rights and antitrust laws.
25. Securities law
Securities law concerns the offer, purchase and sale of financial instruments like stocks and bonds. A securities lawyer might accept cases related to fraud or insider trading.
26. Health law
Health law focuses on legislation that relates to healthcare. Attorneys in this specialty can represent healthcare practitioners, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, academic institutions, health facilities or patients. Additionally, the federal government hires health lawyers to supervise the development, implementation and enforcement of healthcare policies.
27. Real estate law
Real estate law focuses on land arrangements, construction ownership, development, litigation, tenant rights or landlord disputes. Real estate lawyers may work on residential or commercial transactions, review contracts or work in planning and other government offices. Some common subjects in this field include land ownership, property sales, real estate developments and compliance with government regulations.Related: How To Become a Real Estate Lawyer
28. Maritime law
Maritime law, or admiralty law, concerns the regulations that govern private maritime business and nautical offenses. Maritime lawyers might accept cases related to cargo insurance claims, ship registration and legal jurisdiction.
29. Labor law
Labor law differs from employment law in that it focuses on the relationship between a group of people and their employer. These groups of people, or unions, might seek a labor lawyer regarding the right to unionize or negotiate wages.
Frequently asked questions
Which areas of law have positive job outlooks?The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the employment of all lawyers to increase by 10% from 2021 to 2031. This growth may be especially prevalent in law firms and in-house corporate legal departments. Additionally, the federal government is likely to continue requiring lawyers to manage civil or criminal cases.
Which areas of law have high salaries?The average salary of a lawyer is $93,932 per year. While factors like your geographic location and experience can affect your earning potential, your specialty also affects how much you make. For instance, corporate lawyers earn an average of $119,658 per year while immigration lawyers earn an average of $75,524 per year.For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the links provided.
How do you choose the right area of law to specialize in?You can choose the right area of law to specialize in by contemplating your interests and career goals. You might also take electives throughout your undergraduate education and law school to familiarize yourself with different legal specialties. Additionally, you gain work experience at various law firms or volunteer for nonprofit legal organizations.This article is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice; you should consult with an attorney for any legal issues you may be experiencing.
