Also called: Civil Defense Attorney, Casualty Defense Lawyer
Defends people and businesses who get sued after car crashes, slip-and-falls, and other accidents, paid by their insurance company.
Insurance defense lawyers juggle dozens of cases at once: taking depositions of injured people and doctors, reviewing medical records, negotiating settlements, and occasionally trying a case to a jury. It's one of the most common jobs for new lawyers and a fast way to gain courtroom experience.
Estimate; pay is lower than corporate law but hours are more predictable.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 7 years after high school. Bachelor's (any major), then a 3-year J.D. and the bar exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, English, Criminal Justice.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS lawyers, 2025-35 projection.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI summarizes medical records and drafts routine motions, so fewer lawyers handle more files; depositions and trials stay human.
Classes: Biology, AP English Language, Speech and debate, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.