Law Teachers, Postsecondary

The law professor educates future attorneys through the Socratic method, case analysis, and legal writing instruction—teaching courses across the legal curriculum while often conducting scholarship that shapes legal doctrine and policy. A typical week divides between classroom teaching, research, and institutional service. Perhaps 35% of time goes to teaching—typically two or three courses per semester using case method instruction and classroom discussion. Another 40% involves scholarship: researching legal questions, writing articles for law reviews, and sometimes participating in legal reform efforts. The remaining time splits between student advising, committee work, and often outside professional activities like consulting or pro bono work.

People who thrive as law professors combine intellectual passion for legal analysis with teaching ability and the drive to produce scholarship that contributes to legal understanding. Successful professors develop expertise in their specialty while engaging students through the demanding classroom dialogue that characterizes legal education. They balance scholarly ambition with teaching excellence. Those who struggle often find the tenure requirements for scholarship overwhelming or cannot connect with students who are focused on practical career preparation rather than academic analysis. Others fail because they prefer legal practice to academic life. The job market is extremely competitive.

Legal education has trained attorneys since the establishment of American law schools in the nineteenth century. Christopher Columbus Langdell's case method revolutionized legal training. Law professors have influenced legal development through scholarship that courts cite and through training generations of lawyers and judges. The field appears in discussions of legal practice, with debates about whether law schools adequately prepare students for actual legal work.

Practitioners cite the intellectual freedom to pursue interesting legal questions and the influence on legal thinking as primary rewards. The combination of teaching and scholarship provides variety. The autonomy of academic life appeals to many former practitioners. Training future lawyers who will shape the legal system provides lasting impact. Common frustrations include the intense competition for tenure-track positions and the pressure to publish in elite law reviews. Many find the disconnect between legal scholarship and practical law discouraging. Law school enrollment fluctuations create job market uncertainty. Student debt burdens create pressure for practical training that conflicts with scholarly interests.

This career requires a JD from a top law school, typically combined with federal clerkship experience and/or practice experience. Some positions prefer or require additional graduate degrees. The role suits those with genuine intellectual passion for legal analysis and enjoyment of academic life. It is poorly suited to those who prefer legal practice, find academic writing tedious, or need the higher compensation of private practice. Law professor salaries are high by academic standards but modest compared to elite law firm compensation, though the work-life balance is generally better.