Legal, social, and public services professionals perform services which help to maintain social order and to improve the lives of others. From social workers to firefighters, police officers, lawyers, judges, security guards, and childcare providers, occupations in this career field are both challenging and tremendously rewarding.

Job openings in the legal, social, and public services field should be plentiful through the year 2008. The social or public services industries, in particular, are poised for tremendous growth in the coming years. However, those seeking legal services jobs should expect to encounter stiff competition.

Individuals who choose a career in legal, social, and public services need to have strong communication and interpersonal skills and should have a strong desire to help others. These individuals must be willing to work at tasks which have an intangible, social outcome rather than a visible, product outcome. Organizational, problem solving, and analytical skills are also highly desirable for many of the occupations in this field.

There are several courses of study that would help make someone successful in this career field. Some suggested courses are: English, creative writing, law, social studies, home economics, child development, psychology, sociology, foreign languages, public speaking, and speech or debate.

Many people employed in the legal, social, and public services field work more than 40 hours per week. Legal professionals and support personnel usually work in comfortable surroundings such as offices or courtrooms. Public service workers, on the other hand, work in a variety of settings, some of them which place them in great danger. Social services workers also work in a variety of facilities.

Substantial travel may be involved in many careers in the legal, social, and public services field, but especially for those in social services occupations.