Studies & Degrees in Law
Law Study Programs
Law is the study of the rules that govern a society and of the institutions that make, apply and interpret them. A law degree covers the main branches of a legal system, such as constitutional, civil, criminal, commercial, administrative, labour and international law, together with the methods lawyers use: finding and reading legal sources, interpreting them, building an argument and writing it down. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists constitutional law, contracts, property law, civil procedure and legal writing among the courses of accredited law programmes. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) names the search and use of legal sources and negotiation, argumentation and mediation among the skills of its degree.
Law is a national subject. Each country has its own legal system, and the degree and the route into the legal professions are set by national rules. The first decision for an international student is therefore not only where to study, but where to practise afterwards.
Qualifications and levels
- Spain. The bachelor's degree in Law (grado en Derecho) has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years; the Universidad de Navarra, for example, teaches it on campus in Pamplona in Spanish, and UOC offers it fully online in Spanish and Catalan. The degree alone does not give access to the bar. Under Law 34/2006, graduates must complete specialised training, organised by universities as an official master's degree in which external placements make up half of the content, and then pass a state assessment convened jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the ministry responsible for universities.
- United States. Law is a graduate degree. According to BLS, becoming a lawyer usually takes seven years of full-time study after high school: four years of undergraduate study followed by three years of law school, leading to the Juris Doctor (J.D.). Most law schools do not require a specific bachelor's degree for entry. Graduates then take the bar examination of a state. A Master of Laws (LL.M.) is a further specialisation, for example in tax.
- England and Wales. The undergraduate law degree is the LLB. To qualify as a solicitor through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), the Solicitors Regulation Authority asks for a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification, a pass in both parts of the examination (SQE1 and SQE2), two years of full-time work experience or the equivalent, and suitability checks. Barristers train in three components, according to the Bar Standards Board: an academic component, a vocational component and pupillage. Graduates of other subjects can take a law conversion course.
- Argentina. The degree is called Abogacía. At Universidad Austral it lasts five years and is taught on campus in Pilar or in the City of Buenos Aires.
Beyond the first degree, universities offer master's degrees in specialised areas (business law, tax, human rights, international law) and doctorates for those who want an academic career.
Where to study law
SpainExchange lists 521 active schools for law. Most are in Spain (88), the United States (72) and the United Kingdom (46), followed by Germany (19), Argentina (16), France (15), Brazil (13) and Australia (11). China, Mexico, Chile and Italy also have several schools each.
Law is normally taught in the language of the legal system: Spanish in Spain and Latin America, English in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Spanish universities with a law faculty include the Universidad de Oviedo, the Universidad de Cádiz and the Universidad de Navarra.
A foreign law degree does not automatically allow its holder to practise. In the United States, BLS notes that lawyers who want to practise in more than one state usually must meet the licensing requirements of each state. In England and Wales, the Bar Standards Board states that lawyers qualified in another jurisdiction may be exempt from some or all of the training components, depending on their qualifications and experience. In Spain, a foreign degree must first be recognised before its holder can follow the route to the bar.
Careers
Law graduates work as lawyers in firms or on their own, as in-house counsel in companies, in the civil service, in the courts and in international organisations; UOC lists law firms, corporate legal departments, companies, public administration and international bodies as the destinations of its graduates. Judges, prosecutors, notaries and similar public posts are filled through each country's own selection procedures.
For the United States, BLS projects that employment of lawyers will grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 28,700 openings a year.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a lawyer?
It depends on the country. In Spain the degree takes four years and is followed by an official master's degree and a state assessment. In the United States it usually takes seven years of study after high school, according to BLS, plus the bar examination.
Can I practise in another country with my law degree?
Not automatically. Each country, and each state in the United States, sets its own conditions for admission to the profession. Regulators such as the Bar Standards Board may grant exemptions to lawyers who qualified abroad.
Do I need a law degree to become a solicitor in England and Wales?
No. On the SQE route, the Solicitors Regulation Authority accepts a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification, together with both SQE assessments, two years of qualifying work experience and suitability checks.
Can I study law online?
Yes, at some universities. UOC in Spain teaches its 240-credit bachelor's degree in Law fully online.