Career Profile: Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 19,100 people employed as law teachers, postsecondary in the United States. The median annual salary is $123,470. Entry level employees earn approximately $48,760 per year and senior employees earn approximately $208,000 (or more) per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Participate in campus and community events.
• Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
• Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
• Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
• Act as advisers to student organizations.
• Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
• Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, papers, and oral presentations.
• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
• Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
• Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
• Assign cases for students to hear and try.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
• Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as civil procedure, contracts, and torts.

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