What Does it Take to Be a Law Professor?
Career Description Teach courses in law. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Life As a Law Professor
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
- Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Participate in campus and community events.
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What Every Law Professor Should Know
When polled, Law Professors say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Law Professor
- College or University Faculty Member
- Instructor
- Assistant Professor Business Law and Paralegal Studies
- Legal Writing Professor
- Paralegal Instructor
Is There Job Demand for Law Professors?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 21,200 jobs in the United States for Law Professor. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,600 new jobs for Law Professor by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,900 positions for Law Professor per year.

The states with the most job growth for Law Professor are Maryland, Wyoming, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Nebraska, Maine, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Law Professor
The typical yearly salary for Law Professors is somewhere between $36,000 and $208,000.

Law Professors who work in Iowa, Georgia, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Law Professors make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $152,430 |
Arizona | $96,440 |
California | $136,920 |
Colorado | $135,310 |
District of Columbia | $125,900 |
Florida | $141,230 |
Georgia | $172,320 |
Illinois | $152,110 |
Iowa | $166,520 |
Maryland | $140,990 |
Massachusetts | $137,150 |
Michigan | $110,040 |
Minnesota | $159,460 |
Mississippi | $129,630 |
Missouri | $128,180 |
Montana | $85,210 |
New Jersey | $138,360 |
New York | $137,990 |
North Carolina | $149,470 |
Oregon | $81,230 |
Pennsylvania | $97,810 |
Tennessee | $124,300 |
Texas | $110,360 |
Utah | $160,920 |
Washington | $103,520 |
West Virginia | $66,760 |
Wisconsin | $114,030 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Law Professors
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Law Professors:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Microsoft Publisher
- Google Docs
- LexisNexis
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Blackboard Learn
- Learning management system LMS
- Desire2Learn
- Sakai CLE
- iParadigms Turnitin
- Collaborative editing software
- Course management system software
- DOC Cop
Becoming a Law Professor
Learn what Law Professor education requirements there are.

How many years of work experience do I need?

Law Professors Sector

The table below shows the approximate number of Law Professors employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming a Law Professor might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Law Professor sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Okan Г‡alД±Еџkan via CC0 Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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