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Legal adviser education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a legal adviser. Legal advisers usually study law, legal research and advanced professional studies, or political science. 48% of legal advisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 1,945 real legal adviser resumes to see exactly what legal adviser education sections show.

The most common colleges for legal advisers are the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

There are also many online legal adviser courses to help get the education required to be a legal adviser.

There are certain legal adviser certifications that you should consider. These legal adviser certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).

What education do you need to become a legal adviser?

What degree do you need to be a legal adviser?

The most common degree for legal advisers is bachelor's degree, with 48% of legal advisers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 27% and doctoral degree degree at 18%.
  • Bachelor's, 48%
  • Doctorate, 27%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a legal adviser?

You should major in law to become a legal adviser. 55% of legal advisers major in law. Other common majors for a legal adviser include legal research and advanced professional studies and political science.

Most common colleges for legal advisers

Legal advisers often get their degrees at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, and New York Law School. Here are the most common colleges for legal advisers in the US based on their resumes.
Legal adviser common collegePercentages
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico10.00%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus9.41%
New York Law School7.65%
American University7.65%
National University6.47%

Best majors for legal advisers

Best colleges for legal advisers

The best colleges for legal advisers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A legal adviser with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for legal advisers. 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 legal advisers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for legal advisers

Advertising disclosure

1. Legal Tech and the Digital Transformation of Law

coursera

The digital revolution changed the way we communicate and trade. Now, it is coming into the world of law. This program will give you a broad overview of the main trends that are affecting the legal industry: - The birth of the legal tech market and the application of technology in law. - The role of artificial intelligence in the automation of the work of lawyers. - Blockchain technology and its impact on the way we sign and execute contracts. - Initiatives to ensure access to justice through...

2. Artificial Intelligence and legal issues

coursera

The purpose of the course is to help students understand the legal implications related to the design and use of artificial intelligence systems, providing an overview of the risks and legal protections that can be envisaged and giving an overview of the legislation and legal principles currently applicable on the subject. In particular, the profiles of civil and criminal liability, protection in terms of intellectual property and the impacts of AI on the fundamental rights of the individual -...

3. Effective Legal Office Administration

udemy
4.5
(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

4. Legal English

udemy
4.5
(1,299)

Legal language and communication skills...

5. Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship

coursera

By its nature, the law touches on many aspects of entrepreneurship, making it an applicable and versatile topic of study. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it's important to understand how to form the business, work with the initial customers, and hire. For active entrepreneurs, there are critical considerations on employment law, operating policies, and managing contracts. For everyone, the role that the law plays in managing the company, and its associated risks, must be properly understood to...

6. Cloud Computing Law

coursera

This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...

7. Legal Writing Master Class

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4.5
(258)

Learn with lawyers by learning the correct use of prepositions and articles, drafting contracts and writing letters...

8. Legal English Language Certificate (LELC) Level 1 - CPD

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4.5
(360)

Learn from Lawyers - Learn the CORRECT use of articles, prepositions, legal terms & start writing your letter!...

9. Healthcare Law

coursera

This Specialization is designed to help you navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing. Finally,...

10. FinTech Law and Policy

coursera

Being a successful FinTech firm requires more than just great technology; it also requires an understanding of the laws and regulations applicable to your business. This course will provide you with that understanding. You will learn about the critical legal, regulatory, and policy issues associated with cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, online lending, new payments and wealth management technologies, and financial account aggregators. In addition, you will learn how regulatory agencies...

11. The Legal Implications of Social Media in the Workplace

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4.4
(1,475)

Regulatory and Case Law Considerations for Employers' Social Media Policy Development...

12. Cloud Security Course: Cloud Compliance, Audits,Legal issues

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4.4
(309)

For CCSK and CCSP Aspirants - Cloud Agreements/Contracts, Legal and Compliance Concepts...

13. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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4.7
(1,575)

A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

14. Learn Ethical Hacking By Hacking Real Websites Legally

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4.4
(1,045)

Fun way to learn ethical hacking by playing online hacking games - hacking real websites legally...

15. Effective Human Resource Administration

udemy
4.5
(2,351)

Effective Human Resource Administration...

16. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

udemy
4.5
(552)

An English language course for business and law...

17. Intellectual Property Security Awareness

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4.8
(651)

How to Use Social Media without Infringing on Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets and Patents...

18. Administrative Human Resources (HR) for Beginners

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4.5
(5,746)

This course is an introduction to the role and duties of Human Resources (HR)...

19. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

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4.3
(1,337)

Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

20. Human Resources For Beginners

udemy
4.4
(1,664)

A guide to learning the fundamentals of human resource management...

Top 10 most affordable universities for legal advisers

The most affordable schools for legal advisers are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for legal advisers 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 legal advisers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

6. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Cost of attendance

24,568

8. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Cost of attendance

25,497

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for legal advisers

The hardest universities for legal advisers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for legal advisers 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 legal advisers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for legal advisers

The easiest schools for legal advisers to get into are University of Southern Maine, cleveland state university, and western new england university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a legal adviser 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 legal advisers.

1. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

2. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

3. Western New England University

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,160

4. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,031

5. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

6. Pace University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,154

7. Quinnipiac University

Hamden, CT • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,190

8. Suffolk University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

9. Widener University

Chester, PA • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,115

10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, IL • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,124

Average legal adviser salary by education level

Legal adviser education levelLegal adviser salary
Doctorate Degree$59,220

Legal adviser education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.