Education law encompasses laws and regulations governing school systems and students' rights movements. Keep reading for more information about this field, schools that offer education law courses, and the career outlook for future lawyers aspiring to specialize in education law.
Education Law Overview
The field of education law focuses on laws and regulations that govern federal and state schools and school boards and school systems, as well as protecting students' rights. It originally developed as a legal specialization to ensure all students, faculty and staff within an educational system are treated fairly and that their civil rights are not compromised.
This field is relevant to:
- Curriculum instruction methods
- School athletics
- Operation and administration of school institutions
- Programs and educational materials
- Discrimination
- School discipline
Education law primarily deals with topics in:
- Civil rights
- Separation of church and state
- Discrimination
- Public education
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisFieldOfStudy">Important Facts About This Field of Study</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td> Degree </td><td> Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree</td></tr>
<tr><td> Online Availability </td><td> Hybrid law degree available</td></tr>
<tr><td> Possible Careers </td><td> U.S. Department of Education general counsel, private law firm, nonprofit and advocacy groups</td></tr>
<tr><td> Continuing Education </td><td> Continuing legal education for lawyers every year or every three years is required in most states</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---SchoolsOfferingEducationLawCourses">Schools Offering Education Law Courses</h3><p>Many four-year universities with law degree programs offer courses in education law. Education law courses prepare students to deal with cases in which school systems of all levels intersect with federal protections and rules. Students review case studies of federal law issues involving the educational systems in the U.S. and examine how federal courts address the importance of education for everyone.
</p><p><b>Students learn about legal issues such as:</b>
</p><ul><li>Unequal treatment by race or sex
</li><li>Affirmative action
</li><li>Sexual harassment
</li><li>Education of children with disabilities
</li><li>Religion in schools
</li><li>No Child Left Behind Act
</li></ul><p><b>Universities that offer education law courses include:</b>
</p><ul><li>American University
</li><li>DePaul University
</li><li>Pennsylvania State University
</li></ul><h3 id="section---CareerOutlookForEducationLawyers">Career Outlook for Education Lawyers</h3><p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 833,100 people held jobs as lawyers in 2021 (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). Lawyers could see an average employment growth of about 10% from 2021 to 2031 with strong competition expected for most positions, noted the BLS. The majority of lawyers worked in corporate and government organizations. As of May 2021, the BLS indicated the mean annual salary for lawyers was $148,030.</p>
