Corporate lawyer education requirements

Q: What job can you get with a business law degree?

There are a wide array of jobs that you can hold with a business law degree. These careers range from being a corporate lawyer to a judge. Corporate lawyers typically work directly for a business or corporation. They are involved in compliance issues, mergers, acquisitions, and employee mediation. A corporate lawyer's purpose is to ensure that their employer follows the rules and regulations governing their specific industry and human relation and employee issues. These lawyers routinely review contracts of higher-level employees, those drafted by the company, and suppliers. Another role available to those with a business law degree is compliance officer. Similar to a corporate lawyer, a compliance officer often works hand in hand with state and federal governments to ensure the company is meeting regulations and following current laws. Compliance officers often develop new procedures that help companies more easily follow business-related laws. Compliance managers must be very familiar with the industry in which they work. Candidates for these positions typically begin at entry level and gain experience and knowledge within the industry before becoming compliance officers. Those with a business law degree may also work as a judge. Judges can specialize in business law and hear cases regarding the legalities of a company's actions. There are several ways to become a judge. After gaining experience as a lawyer, candidates at the local level are elected by voters. Their names appear on election ballots; they will serve a predetermined term. State governors often appoint state judges. Federal judges also have appointed positions.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate lawyer. Corporate lawyers usually study law, legal research and advanced professional studies, or legal studies. 35% of corporate lawyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 97 real corporate lawyer resumes to see exactly what corporate lawyer education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate lawyers are the Harvard University and the Harvard University.

There are also many online corporate lawyer courses to help get the education required to be a corporate lawyer.

What education do you need to become a corporate lawyer?

What degree do you need to be a corporate lawyer?

The most common degree for corporate lawyers is bachelor's degree, with 35% of corporate lawyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 29% and doctoral degree degree at 25%.

Bachelor's, 35%

Doctorate, 29%

Master's, 25%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a corporate lawyer?

You should major in law to become a corporate lawyer. 53% of corporate lawyers major in law. Other common majors for a corporate lawyer include legal research and advanced professional studies and legal studies.

Law, 53%

Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies, 15%

Legal Studies, 5%

English, 5%

Other Majors, 22%

Most common colleges for corporate lawyers

Corporate lawyers often get their degrees at Harvard University, New York University, and University of Connecticut. Here are the most common colleges for corporate lawyers in the US based on their resumes.

Corporate lawyer common college	Percentages
Harvard University	5.00%
New York University	5.00%
University of Connecticut	5.00%
Washington and Lee University	5.00%
National University	5.00%

Show more common corporate lawyer colleges

Best majors for corporate lawyers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Law	53.2%
2	Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies	15.2%
3	Legal Studies	5.1%
4	English	5.1%
5	Business	3.8%

Show more common corporate lawyer majors

Best colleges for corporate lawyers

The best colleges for corporate lawyers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A corporate lawyer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for corporate lawyers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become corporate lawyers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

3. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

20 best online courses for corporate lawyers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate lawyers

The most affordable schools for corporate lawyers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.

If the best universities for corporate lawyers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for corporate lawyers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate lawyers

The hardest universities for corporate lawyers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for corporate lawyers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for corporate lawyers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate lawyers

The easiest schools for corporate lawyers to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate lawyer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for corporate lawyers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

10. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

Average corporate lawyer salary by education level

Corporate lawyer education level	Corporate lawyer salary
Doctorate Degree	$132,633

Corporate lawyer education FAQs

What job can you get with a business law degree?

What is the best college for Corporate Lawyers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common legal questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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