Most attorneys specialize in a particular area of law. Your practice area choice will impact many aspects of your career including your first job out of law school and your numerous options down the road.
As you gain exposure to different courses, clinics and internships, your interests may grow and change during law school and beyond. However, it’s important to spend some time considering which practice areas will be a good fit for you so you can think strategically about other career-related choices. This page will help you start your practice area research and feel more confident as you discover what interests you most.
Getting Started in Practice Area Research
BigLaw practice areas are generally divided into the broad buckets of Corporate/Transactional (interchangeable terms), Litigation, and Regulatory. Each of these buckets have their own subspecialties (e.g., private equity, funds, white-collar litigation, general commercial litigation, antitrust, energy, international trade, etc.). There are also smaller buckets of practice such as tax, bankruptcy, labor & employment, real estate, and others. Sometimes these smaller buckets are stand-alone practices and sometimes they are a subset of the larger buckets. Each firm structures their practice areas in a different way, and it can be helpful to look at firms’ websites to see how they are organized.
- Before you dive into research, we encourage you to review our Self-Assessment page.
- Attend Big Law 101 or watch recordings from the event panels on areas that might interest you: Corporate v. Litigation, Intellectual Property, Regulatory, Corporate Specialties, and Specialty Practice Areas (Bankruptcy. Employment. Real Estate, and Tax)
Digging Deeper in Practice Area Research
After asking yourself these and other big picture questions, dig deeper into practice areas using:
- OCS Practice Area Podcasts offer short, practical interviews with HLS alums on on common practice areas in BigLaw.
- OCS Legal Market Information highlights differences in practice areas based on geography.
- Vault Practice Area Guides provide insight into the practice areas, potential career paths, top-ranked firms in each practice, and practice Q&A’s from attorneys at top-ranked firms.
- Chambers Legal Practice Groups provides an overview of over 50 different practice areas.
- Informational Interviews with HLS alumni and other attorneys in your practice areas of interest provide valuable insights into the work and connections in the field.
Considering Exit Options
If you do not plan to spend your career at a Big Law firm, one consideration in choosing practice areas may be your ability to do the work outside of a large law firm or your “exit options.”
- Start with OCS’s guide to Researching Exit Options
- Watch the “Tracking Attorney Moves” video in the Student Training Videos section of Firm Prospects to learn to research where people go after their BigLaw jobs.
- Browse the Beyond Big Law Podcast Series to learn about careers outside of and post-Big Law, including business, in-house legal departments, academia, and other firms of all sizes.
- Listen to OCS’s Practice Area Podcasts which typically include a question on common exit options for the practice area.
Closing Thoughts on Practice Area Research
Keep in mind your goals when doing practice area research. It’s normal not to know your preferred practice area right away. Focus on what interests you and why, and then use that knowledge to guide your choices and your conversations with employers.
Exploring practice areas of interest will help you target employers and legal markets and explain your choices confidently in interviews. For example, saying to a potential employer, “I am leaning towards corporate because, after attending several programs featuring corporate attorneys, I keep hearing that corporate practice involves working collaboratively with clients to find creative ways to grow their business and, as a business-oriented person, I am drawn to that.” Practice area research and reflection take time, but it is time well-spent and can result in long-term career satisfaction. Work with an OCS adviser for further guidance navigating practice areas.
Additional Resources
- Browse the OCS Program Library for recordings from past programs.
- Find HLS faculty, clinics, and courses in HLS Area of Interest
- Find relevant student orgs, student journals, student practice organizations