Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Law Professor
What law professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a law professor?
Teach contracts using the Socratic method. From there, the day usually includes teach law courses, run legal clinics, and teach legal writing. Teaching, scholarship and service with flexible hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a law professor working full time.
- Teach contracts using the Socratic method.
- Hold office hours.
- Supervise clinic students.
- Write a law review article.
- Meet a student about clerkships.
- Give a media interview.
- Grade memos.
Where law professors work
Faculty work in law schools, clinics and offices.
Hours and schedule
Teaching, scholarship and service with flexible hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach law courses
- Run legal clinics
- Teach legal writing
- Write legal scholarship
- Advise students
- Serve on committees
- Comment on legal issues
Tools you’ll use every day
- Westlaw and Lexis
- Learning management systems
- Case files
- Presentation tools
- Court filing systems
- Writing software
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay for academia
- Intellectual freedom
- Policy influence
- Prestige
What’s hard
- Very competitive hiring
- Scholarship pressure
- Clinic caseloads
- Long path
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love the law
- I enjoy debate
- I like writing
- I want to teach future lawyers
- I want policy influence
- I can compete in tough hiring
Not sure? Take the free Law Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow attorney ethics rules
- Protect client confidentiality
- Protect student privacy
- Follow campus safety