💡 Why it matters: Some people cannot afford a lawyer or face unfair treatment, and human rights lawyers help them use the law to be heard, from unlawful detention to land and workers' rights.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs for lawyers are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.2M – ₦3M
- Mid-career
- ₦3M – ₦8M
- Senior
- ₦8M – ₦22M
≈ ₦250k – ₦667k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK profile: Solicitor. Typical starter to experienced salary. National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Canadian category: Lawyer. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Represent people whose rights have been ignored
- Investigate cases and collect evidence
- Teach communities about their legal rights
- Work with NGOs and legal aid groups
- Bring important cases that change the law for everyone
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Empathy
- Persuasion
- Research
- Courage
- Writing
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- LLB and Nigerian Law School, then volunteer with the Legal Aid Council or a human rights NGO
- Postgraduate study in Human Rights Law (LLM) in Nigeria or abroad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Solicitor degree apprenticeship (Level 7)
- Volunteer at law centres or charities, then qualify
- Master's in human rights law (optional)
🇺🇸 United States
- Volunteer or intern with legal aid or rights groups
- Master of Laws (LLM) in human rights law (optional)
🇨🇦 Canada
- Volunteer at legal aid clinics or rights groups
- Master of Laws (LLM) in human rights law (optional)
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Be curious about fairness and read about justice issues
- 2Study Law
- 3Complete the professional training and qualify as a lawyer
- 4Join an NGO, legal aid group or law firm with a rights practice
- 5Build expertise in an area such as women's rights or land law
⏰ A day in the life
In the morning you visit a client who has been held without charge and plan how to get a hearing. You then draft court papers, speak to a community about their rights, and write a short report for your NGO.