Read the full article to learn more about each of the professions mentioned on the UW’s Professional & Continuing Education website. Start learning the basics below…
Making sense of laws, rules and regulations sometimes requires a special set of skills. If you’re someone who appreciates a good guideline, you might be a match for one of these 5 law-related jobs — no law degree required.
1. PARALEGAL
Paralegals are multitasking legal assistants who support attorneys in public or private practice. Successful paralegals are organized, ethical, adept at navigating complex systems and have sharp writing skills.
2. BIOMEDICAL REGULATORY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST
Regulatory affairs specialists serve as a “go-between” for companies that develop products and the government agencies that regulate them.
According to Dave Hammond, a Seattle-area clinical and regulatory consultant, the biomedical industry needs regulatory affairs specialists to help engineers and scientists meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards as they develop new drugs, devices and biotech products.
“The FDA has thousands of rules and guidelines and hundreds of regulations that have to be followed for a product to legally make it to market and be able to be sold,” says Hammond, who is an instructor for the UW Master of Science in Biomedical Regulatory Affairs program. “The person in this job guides the company through this process.”
3. PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
Knowing what’s legal — and what’s not — is key for private detectives and investigators who work to help make or break a case.
Investigators find facts to help enforce criminal laws, civil codes and corporate policies, according to Robin Mullins, a Bellingham-based investigator and instructor for the UW Certificate in Private Investigation.
Law firms and public agencies often hire private investigators. So do businesses, which turn to investigators to help resolve legal matters, such as loss prevention or workplace accidents, Mullins says.
4. FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT
Forensic accountants are specialized investigators who focus on financial crimes.
Also known as fraud examiners, financial investigators or forensic audit experts, forensic accountants look into suspected crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, money laundering or stolen funds.
There’s a growing demand for these professionals — O*NET OnLine projects that jobs in Washington will rise by 19% through 2028 and 6% nationally through 2030.
5. PROFESSIONAL GUARDIAN OR CONSERVATOR
Courts legally entrust professional guardians and conservators to make decisions and coordinate services for people with cognitive disabilities who are unable to make decisions about their own health, safety and finances.
States define the roles of guardian and conservator differently. According to Washington law, guardians make certain legal or medical decisions for a vulnerable person, while conservators generally address estate or financial concerns. In every case, professional guardians and conservators must respect an individual’s rights and best interests.
Above you found some of the basic info listed for each career, so to learn more about what each profession does in more depth, along with links to job search resources and requirements for these roles, continue reading on their website.
