What Can You Do With a Masters in Law?

A Masters in Law (LLM) is a specialised postgraduate degree primarily designed for qualified lawyers seeking to broaden their experience. Graduates often gain valuable experience through opportunities to study abroad and explore different legal systems. Employment data shows that 86% of UK Law Masters graduates secure full-time work or further study within five years, earning a median salary of £38,700—nearly £10,000 more annually than those with only a first law degree, highlighting the degree’s positive impact on career advancement and earning potential.

A Masters in Law (LLM) is a great degree for qualified lawyers to advance their career in a particular specialisation. It can also be a useful for those working in fields that require a high level of legal knowledge.

This page will take you through the types of skills you could gain with a Masters in Law. It will also a look at some of the most popular careers Law Masters graduates go on to follow and their average earnings.

A Masters in Law is designed to provide students with advanced training in a specialised subject. Some of the main areas you could study include:

• Constitutional law
• Corporate law
• Criminal law
• Environmental law
• Family law
• Insurance
• International trade
• Taxation

As a taught degree with some research elements, a Masters in Law can expand the legal knowledge of those working in a variety of fields, such as insurance or consultancy. Combined with a research element, the degree can also prepare students to enter a more academic career in legal research or lecturing.

For those already qualified and working as a lawyer, this extra degree offers students the chance to deepen their knowledge of a particular topic. With many courses offering the opportunity to study abroad, students also have the opportunity to experience other legal systems and build language skills.

A Masters in Law does not qualify students to practice law. Instead, the degree is commonly undertaken by qualified lawyers to boost their current knowledge and credentials.

If you want to qualify as a lawyer, the first step if you don’t already have a Bachelors in Law (LLB) is to study a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), which acts as a conversion course. After this, you’ll need to complete a Legal Practice Course (LPC) before qualification.

The LLM is a good degree for those with careers that could benefit from advanced legal knowledge. This means that graduates often end up working in a wide range of fields depending on their specialism.

Those not studying a LLM to advance a law career may work in industries such as:

• Consultancy
• Education
• Finance
• Government
• Insurance
• IT
• Law enforcement

The job roles you will be qualified for largely depend on your chosen specialism during the Masters.

Designed to be a career boosting degree, official government data shows that Law Masters graduates do earn more on average than first degree graduates five years after completing their studies.

• The median earnings of a Law Masters graduate five years after finishing their course was £38,700
• The median earnings of a Law first degree graduate five years after finishing their course was £28,800

That means that, on average, Masters graduates in Law earn £9,900 per year more than their Bachelors equivalents (that’s just over a 34.3% increase).

Pursuing a Masters in Law can open many doors, but it’s important to choose your specialisation carefully based on your career goals. If you want to work internationally, consider courses that offer study abroad options or focus on international law. Don’t overlook the value of building language skills and gaining exposure to different legal systems — these can make you stand out to employers.

Also, use your research project as a chance to explore emerging areas of law or policy that excite you, as this can position you as a specialist in a niche field. Finally, networking with professors and industry professionals during your course can provide valuable contacts and insight into career paths beyond traditional legal practice.