These are some of the hottest legal fields in the 21st century…to date and into the future. The list includes traditional practice areas that have been energized by recent developments and others that are entirely new. They all pass Hermann’s 10 metric test for emerging practice and future growth areas.
Data Protection Law: Privacy and Cybersecurity Leap to the Fore
The current—and future—demand for attorneys who understand the legal implications of cyber threats and how to manage and defend against them, and both assess and control the damage they wreak, is intense. Data protection law is one of today’s hottest practice areas and one that is likely to be just as hot an arena of business, personal, and legal concern for many years to come.
Health Law: Hot…and Getting Hotter
Health law jobs are abundant, due to: the Affordable Care Act (ACA); HIPAA and its Omnibus Rule; healthcare costs, which have risen at three times the inflation rate for 30+ years; poor quality care—the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the U.S. healthcare system a dismal 37th in the world; technological innovation; globalization; an aging population; and regulatory burdens affecting millions of businesses and individuals.
Energy Law: Fueling a Dynamic Legal Career
Energy law is destined to be a central focus of legal concern for as far out as the eye can see; consequently, an arena that is a job-creating juggernaut and one that aspiring attorneys should carefully consider.
Intellectual Property Law (for Everyone):“Soft” IP Opportunities for Non-STEM Attorneys
This is the best time in history to contemplate a legal career in intellectual property (IP) regardless of your educational background aside from law school. Whether you combine your law degree with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) background, or come to law from a purely liberal arts orientation, there are exciting opportunities for you in intellectual property.
The Administrative Law Revolution: Litigation “Lite”
Administrative litigation is one of the hottest law practice areas going, and it is heating up even more, due to demographics. Two demographic phenomena are hitting the U.S. at the same time: (1) Age. 78 million Baby Boomers (Americans born between 1946 and 1964) are “aging up” at a rate of 10,000 per day); (2) Veterans. The U.S. now has 26 million veterans.
In addition to the “Big Three”—Social Security Disability Income cases, Medicare appeals, and Veterans appeals, a variety of other federal and state forums hear administrative cases.
Digital Assets Practice: The New Estate and Business Planning Practice
The march of technology has created a vast storehouse of individual and corporate digital assets. Until very recently, these were not included in people’s estate plans. But since estate plans are designed to pass assets to one’s heirs, digital assets are becoming increasingly important factors in estate planning. Digital assets have also become central to business success and survival, and must be addressed in business succession plans and in mergers and acquisitions.