Are you looking for ways to use your law degree outside the courtroom? If so, remote legal writing jobs may be the answer. There’s a high demand for quality legal writing, which requires specialized knowledge. Even if you’re new to freelancing, you can build a lucrative career as a legal writer. The first step is figuring out what kind of work interests you.

What Kind of Remote Legal Writing Jobs Can You Get?

Legal writing may not get a spotlight like other copywriting jobs, but it’s nevertheless essential for many businesses. You can find a wide variety of clients, from news outlets to legal firms, in need of your expertise. Most freelancers establish themselves in a niche, but finding the right one is a process. To find your niche, explore the following careers.

1. Legal Correspondent

If you have an interest in journalism, legal correspondence may be the perfect job, as it requires both law and reporting expertise. Legal cases involving public figures often make the news, but the average reader may not have the context to understand what’s happening or why it’s important. A legal correspondent reports on criminal and civil cases while breaking down complex legal concepts and explaining jargon. Correspondence can be one of the more lucrative remote legal writing jobs since qualified individuals are few and far between, allowing professionals to negotiate a sizable rate.

2. Legal Content Creator

Companies offering legal services need digital marketing just like any other business. However, not every copywriter has the knowledge to create this online content. Your legal degree provides insight into the legal system’s inner workings, allowing you to write informative and compelling marketing material:

• Landing pages
• Blogs
• Social media posts
• Title tags and meta descriptions

Of course, you’ll also need to learn about search engine optimization to follow this path. SEO utilizes keywords to drive traffic to clients’ websites, making it a crucial part of any digital marketing piece.

The internet isn’t the only place for content creators — print magazines and legal journals still need writers. You can make a pretty penny writing about important court decisions and how new legislation affects various industries.

3. Legal Analyst

All great lawyers have a team painstakingly documenting arguments and organizing records. Working as a legal analyst may require more research than other remote legal writing jobs, but that’s what attracts people to the position: Every day is different. To succeed as a legal analyst, you need experience in the following:

• Updating tracking systems and databases
• Creating reference tools by synthesizing information
• Studying anticipated regulations and writing summaries of them

4. Brief Writer

Every business produces some degree of legal paperwork, and small companies may prefer to work with freelancers instead of hiring a firm. That’s where brief writers come in.

As the name implies, brief writers create summaries of legal arguments, called briefs, that clients may submit to courts. While brief writing typically falls under the purview of law firms, these writers produce a variety of other documents corporations may use:

• Motions
• Memorandums
• Agreements
• Contracts

5. Corporate Writer

Corporate writing may not seem like it belongs on this list of remote legal writing jobs, but a thorough understanding of corporate law is necessary for success in this field. Corporate writers speak on behalf of clients, which means they must know where to draw the line between responsibility and liability, as litigation is a genuine concern. A neutral voice and careful language are also crucial skills for corporate writers, as they create press releases and other public media that can significantly impact their clients’ image.

Why Apply for Remote Legal Writing Jobs?

In past years, people assumed that physically going to a workplace was necessary for high productivity. However, the shift to remote work proves that the flexibility provided by work-from-home jobs actually boosts productivity, a positive outcome for employees and employers alike.

If you choose to freelance, you have even greater freedom as you set your hours and select your projects. Doing so allows you to obtain the work-life balance you need to prevent burnout. Of course, there are other reasons people seek remote jobs, such as concerns with sustainability and variety.

Sustainability

Remote legal writing jobs don’t require commuting, which means a reduced environmental impact — the fewer vehicles on the road, the less air pollution. You don’t even have to meet clients in person — a video conference achieves the same effect without the hassle of travel.

Variety

Remote work also lets you apply for projects across the globe. That means access to a wider range of opportunities, ensuring a steady income and enough variety to prevent boredom.

Remote legal writing jobs are an excellent way to utilize your law knowledge in a highly flexible setting. Which career path are you most interested in? Let us know in the comments below!