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Areas of law
Lawyers do very different work depending on their field. This guide describes 85 areas of legal practice in plain language, how they relate to one another, and the programs law schools publish in each.
How government agencies make and enforce rules.
Law from the farm to the table.
Resolving disputes through negotiation, mediation and arbitration.
The legal status, protection and welfare of animals.
Rules that protect competition among businesses.
Regulation of banks, lenders and the products they offer.
Helping people and companies that cannot pay their debts.
Forming, financing, governing and advising companies.
Enforcing equal treatment and protecting individual freedoms.
Sales, payments, secured lending and everyday business dealings.
The structure of government and the rights it must respect.
Contracts and disputes in building projects.
Protecting buyers and borrowers from unfair practices.
Building the systems that keep an organization within the law.
Prosecuting and defending people accused of crimes.
Rights, access and benefits for people with disabilities.
Legal protection and advocacy for survivors of abuse.
The rights and duties of students, families, schools and universities.
Legal needs that come with aging.
Voting, campaigns and the conduct of elections.
Producing, moving and selling energy.
Legal work for film, television, music, publishing and the arts.
Protecting air, water, land and the people who depend on them.
Marriage, divorce, custody, support and adoption.
Lawyering for and within public institutions.
The law of health care delivery, payment and regulation.
Who may enter, stay in and become a citizen of the United States.
Coverage, claims and the regulation of insurers.
Protecting inventions, creative work, brands and confidential know-how.
Law among nations and across borders.
Representing children in delinquency, welfare and related matters.
The legal relationship between employers and the people who work for them.
Resolving disputes through the courts.
Speech, publishing, broadcasting and telecommunications.
Legal matters affecting service members and veterans.
Law governing defense, intelligence and emergency powers.
Tribal sovereignty and the law between tribes, states and the United States.
Compensation for harm caused by another's conduct.
Legal work for people and causes that would otherwise go unrepresented.
Buying, selling, financing, leasing and developing property.
Legal issues in amateur and professional athletics.
Planning for, complying with and disputing taxes.
Legal questions raised by software, data, platforms and new tools.
Moving people and goods by road, rail, air and sea.
Planning for the transfer of property during life and at death.
How this catalog was built
The list of areas and the way they are grouped draw on how the American Bar Association organizes its practice sections and on the fields of law the Law School Admission Council describes for prospective students. The names, groupings and every description were written for PreLaw Advisor.
Reference sources
- 1.American Bar Association. ABA Member Groups (sections, divisions and forums) (opens in a new tab) Retrieved Sep 2026.
- 2.Law School Admission Council. Fields of Law (opens in a new tab) Retrieved Sep 2026.