There are several types of law you’ll come across during your legal studies.

On this

page, you’ll find a comprehensive list of different areas of law you can choose to

specialise in during your journey towards a career in law. Read more about the ones

that interest you with our specific guides, and make sure you apply for work experience

in these areas to see if they’re a good fit.

Struggling to choose which of the types of law you want to specialise in? Take our two-

minute quiz!

WHICH AREA OF LAW IS RIGHT FOR YOU? TAKE THE QUIZ!

Or take these steps to make a methodical decision about which area is your perfect

area.

If there is an area of law you’re particularly interested in, take a look at our various

Areas of Law pages, including:

 Banking and Finance Law 

 Commercial Law

 Corporate Law 

 Criminal Law

 Family Law 

 Media Law

 Public Law 
For a more general overview of many different areas of law, see below some examples

that you may wish to investigate in more detail:

Areas of Law You Can Specialise in

Arbitration

Arbitration is a technique of resolving civil and commercial disputes outside of court.

The parties present their case to a single arbitrator or a panel who then hands down a

decision which the parties have agreed to be bound by. It is increasingly common to

arbitrate international disputes in a pre-agreed jurisdiction instead of turning to litigation.

Aviation Law

This type of law concerns air travel and is a matter of international law. It involves

admiralty (maritime) law but the business aspects of air travel are largely regulated by

the International Civil Aviation Organization. The emerging field of space law is

predominantly based on aviation law. The Air Navigation and Transport Act 1920 forms

the basis of aviation regulation in the UK.

Banking and Finance Law

Banking and finance is a diverse type of law which involves the regulation of financial

products and is primarily focused on loan transactions. The work of a finance lawyer

ranges from advising on simple bank loans to companies to working on highly

structured financing arrangements across multiple jurisdictions. Finance lawyers have to

be very commercially minded and consider the business as well as legal implications of

every deal.

>> How to Become a Banking and Finance Lawyer

Clinical Negligence Law

Clinical negligence law can be both incredibly complex and heart-wrenching. Cases

related to this legal practice can involve difficult medical issues and patients that suffer

life-long injuries after wrongful treatment.

European Law

European law is a system of rules affecting member states of the European Union. The

fundamental principles of European Law include free movement of people, goods and

services. To promote these principles, competition law has evolved to regulate market

competition to prevent any one organisation having the monopoly in a particular

industry.

Competition Law

Competition law is intended to prevent anti-competitive behaviour in the market. It aims

to ensure the market is fair for consumers and producers by preventing unethical or

anti-competitive practices designed to gain a larger market share than what would be

achieved through honest competition.

Construction Law

Construction law deals with issues relating to building construction and engineering. It

involves aspects of contract law, planning law, property law, commercial law and tort.

Lawyers specialising in construction could be working on large building projects or

acting in disputes where there has been defective construction or non-compliance with

planning laws.

Corporate Law

Corporate law governs the functioning of companies; from how they are formed to the
transactions they are permitted to engage in. It applies to shareholders, directors,

creditors and other stakeholders by regulating their rights and duties. One of the most

important pieces of legislation in corporate law is the Companies Act 2006.

>> How to Become a Corporate Lawyer

Criminal Law

Criminal law is the branch of law which relates to crime and the punishment of those

who violate laws. Most criminal law is established by statute, however in the UK there

are many important criminal cases which have created legal principles.  The

fundamentals of a crime are known as the actus reus and the mens rea. These

two Latin terms mean “guilty act” and “guilty mind” and both must be established in

order to prove culpability in most crimes.

>> How to Become a Criminal Lawyer

Dispute Resolution

Dispute resolution can be split into two major types. Adjudicative processes include

litigation and arbitration and involve an independent third party coming to a final binding

judgement on an issue. Meanwhile, consensual processes like mediation, conciliation or

negotiation involve the parties coming to a decision between themselves, sometimes

with the help of an independent facilitator.

Employment Law

Employment law is the type of law regulating the relationship between employers and

employees; it sets out their respective rights and obligations. Employment law and

pensions law are related since employers often provide their employees with access to

a pension scheme. However, pensions can also be stand-alone area of specialism

which involves advise on the creation, structuring and funding of pension schemes, their

management and the resolving of any associated disputes.

>> Find out more about employment law in the gig economy here

Energy and Infrastructure Law

Lawyers working in this field are often referred to as “projects lawyers”. Infrastructure

law encompasses transactions in the energy sector as well as projects in road, rail and

telecoms. Energy and infrastructure lawyers have to consider commercial, strategic,

technical, geographical and political factors that shape and impact transactions in

addition to the legal issues.

Environmental Law

Environmental law is shaped by treaties, statutes, regulations, common and

customary laws which address the effects of human activity on the natural environment.

Environmental law certainly has an international element as many treaties governing

everything from pollution to sustainable farming are the result of multi-national

agreements.

Family Law

Family law deals with family matters and domestic relations, including marriage and civil

partnerships, the termination of relationships and child law. Family law has grown

dramatically since the 1970s, as legislators and judges have re-examined and redefined

legal relationships. Family law is now entwined with national debates over the structure

of family, gender bias and morality.

>> How to Become a Family Lawyer

Gaming Law
This type of law regulates the gaming and gambling industry. Gaming law is not a

branch of law in the traditional sense but rather a collection of several areas of law that

include criminal law, regulatory law, constitutional law, administrative law, company law,

contract law, and competition law. Gaming law relates to everything from the legality of

gambling to the fairness of gaming terms and conditions.

Human Rights Law

Human rights are rights that all humans are entitled to. It is governed by fore example

the European Convention on Human Rights and, specific to the UK, the Human Rights

Act 1998. More famously is the United Nations who protect international human rights.

The law from these sources prohibits slavery, torture, convictions without proper trials

etc. The law is generally concerned with fundamental rights and preventing abuse.

>> Read Sacha’s account of human rights law in Nepal

Immigration Law

Immigration law refers to national government policies controlling the immigration

and deportation of people, and other matters such as citizenship. Immigration law varies

from country to country and can be the subject of very high profile international cases

relating to various topics such as the legality of detention of immigrants and the legal

status of aliens without a nationality.

Insolvency Law

Insolvency law regulates companies in the United Kingdom which are unable to repay

their debts. While UK bankruptcy law concerns the rules for natural persons, insolvency

law is used to determine whether and how much the creditors of companies are entitled

to recover. The main aim of modern UK insolvency law is to rescue the company and
this is reflected in the duties owed by insolvency practitioners such as company

administrators.

Insurance Law

Insurance law relates to the regulation of insurance policies and claims. It can be

broadly broken into three categories – regulation of the business of insurance;

regulation of the content of insurance policies, especially with regard to consumer

policies; and regulations relating to insurance claims.  Insurance law is largely based on

contract law and also often involves the litigation of insurance claims.

Intellectual Property Law

Intellectual law relates to the rights and obligations which attach to creations of the

intellect which can arise in artistic works as well as scientific inventions and various

designs. This type of law regulates whether an intellectual property right exists, whether

it has been correctly registered and whether it can be exploited. Intellectual property

includes registered rights such as trademarks, patents and designs as well as

unregistered rights such as copyright.

Media Law

Media Law is an area of law that relates to the regulation of the telecommunications

industry, information technology, broadcasting, advertising, the entertainment industry,

and the Internet. Essentially, media law governs what can be published and broadcast.

Media law is in many ways related to intellectual property law, however it also involves

matters such as censorship and the tort of defamation.

>> How to Become a Media Lawyer

Property Law

Property law governs the various forms of ownership and tenancy in and relating to

property. There are two types of property: real property (immovable property including

land and buildings) and personal property (movable property such as jewellery and

intangible property such as shares or intellectual property). Real property lawyers often

advise on transactions involving freehold and leasehold property as well as various

property rights such as the rights of tenants and rights of way over land.

Public Sector and Local Government Law

Public law governs the relationship between people and the state. Public law

comprises constitutional law, administrative law, tax law and criminal law. The

relationship between the state and individuals is inherently unbalanced since the state

makes decisions designed to regulate how individuals behave. However, the rule of

law doctrine means authorities may only act within the law and must obey the law. A

citizen is therefore entitled to challenge the actions of the state through judicial review.

>> How to Become a Public Lawyer

Shipping and Maritime Law

Shipping lawyers deal with the carriage of goods or people by sea, plus any and every

matter related to the financing, construction, use, insurance and decommissioning of the

ships that carry them. Maritime law is an international type of law but ultimately based

on principles of English law. The work of maritime lawyers can be divided into ‘wet’ work

relating to accidents or misadventure at sea, and ‘dry’ work involving land-based,

commercial and contractual matters.

Sports Law
Sports lawyers can represent players, clubs, sports agents, regulatory associations or

sponsorship companies. Sports law requires good knowledge of contract law but also

involves telecommunications, finance and intellectual property, negligence and privacy

law. A large part of sports law is the regulation of the sports industry and the compliance

of teams, clubs and individual athletes with the rules applicable to them.

Tax Law

Tax law regulates the taxation of individuals and companies. Tax law involves

contentious and non-contentious work such as tax planning or litigation relating to

compliance with tax laws. Tax law also spans both the public and private sectors;

private sector tax lawyers advise private individuals and companies on their tax affairs

while public sector tax lawyer will work for governmental tax and revenue departments

advising on the drafting and enforcement of tax legislation.

Tort Law

Tort is an area of law which stretches across a broad range of legal areas, allowing

individuals who have had a wrong committed against them to claim damages against

the person who has committed the wrong. This is one of the core topics in the LLB

which all aspiring lawyers will learn about in detail during their studies and training.

Wills, Trust and Probate Law

A will is a legal document containing instructions as to what should be done with a

person’s money and property after their death. If a person does not leave a will, their

estate is distributed according to statutory probate rules. Trusts are legal instruments

which allow property to be held and dealt with by one person on behalf of another.

Private client lawyers advise on all these matters and are involved in estate planning,
 the administration and distribution of the deceased’s estate to beneficiaries and any

litigation relating to the estate.

Now you’ve had a look through them all, the next step is to find out a little more

with our specific guides…

 How to Become a Banking and Finance Lawyer

 How to Become a Commercial Lawyer

 How to Become a Corporate Lawyer

 How to Become a Criminal Lawyer

 How to Become a Family Lawyer

 How to Become a Media Lawyer

 How to Become a Public Lawyer