LawyersLawyers

LawLaw A lawyer's job description

depends on what type of focus or specialty the lawyer has in his or her practice. Some lawyers spend a great deal of time in court as litigators, which means that their cases go to trials and hearings. Other lawyers rarely go to court and their practices are considered transactional, meaning that they deal with issues that are negotiated or implemented without the use of the court system.

Lawyers sometimes are employed full time by a single client. If the client is a corporation, the lawyer is known as “house counsel” and usually advises the company concerning legal issues related to its business activities.

Lawyers work in a myriad Lawyers work in a myriad of venues such as for the of venues such as for the government, for a law government, for a law firm, for the military, for firm, for the military, for non-profit organizations non-profit organizations or for corporations. or for corporations. Within those different Within those different entities, a lawyer may entities, a lawyer may practice medical law, wills practice medical law, wills and estates, products law, and estates, products law, business or corporate law, business or corporate law, computer or information computer or information technology law, patent technology law, patent law, contract law, law, contract law, consumer law, and consumer law, and criminal law.criminal law.

Lawyers deal with a lot of Lawyers deal with a lot of paperwork and often work paperwork and often work directly with other directly with other lawyers on a daily basis.lawyers on a daily basis.

Criminal LawyersCriminal Lawyers In criminal law, In criminal law,

lawyers represent lawyers represent individuals who individuals who have been charged have been charged with crimes and with crimes and argue their cases in argue their cases in courts of law. courts of law.

Attorneys dealing Attorneys dealing with civil law assist with civil law assist clients with clients with litigation, wills, litigation, wills, trusts, contracts, trusts, contracts, mortgages, titles, mortgages, titles, and leases. and leases.

A criminal lawyer A criminal lawyer specializes in law cases specializes in law cases that deal with offenses that deal with offenses against the state or the against the state or the society. society.

The criminal lawyer can The criminal lawyer can prosecute or defend the prosecute or defend the defendant against the defendant against the charges.charges.

Other lawyers handle Other lawyers handle only public-interest or only public-interest or concentrating on concentrating on particular causes and particular causes and choosing cases that choosing cases that might have an impact on might have an impact on the way law is applied. the way law is applied.

High schools that would help High schools that would help someone become a criminal lawyersomeone become a criminal lawyer

High School for Law, Advocacy, and High School for Law, Advocacy, and Community Justice Community Justice

Jonathon Law High SchoolJonathon Law High School High School for Law and Public High School for Law and Public

ServiceService Bronx High School for Law and Bronx High School for Law and

Community ServiceCommunity Service Bonar Law Memorial High SchoolBonar Law Memorial High School

Colleges that would help someone Colleges that would help someone become a criminal lawyerbecome a criminal lawyer

Berkeley CollegeBerkeley College Drury University Drury University Briarcliffe CollegeBriarcliffe College Liberty UniversityLiberty University University of PhoenixUniversity of Phoenix University of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina Virginia CollegeVirginia College Syracuse University Syracuse University

Programs and Studies needed to Programs and Studies needed to be learnedbe learned

During the first year or During the first year or year and a half of law year and a half of law school, students usually school, students usually study core courses, such study core courses, such as constitutional law, as constitutional law, contracts, property law, contracts, property law, torts, civil procedure, and torts, civil procedure, and legal writing. In the legal writing. In the remaining time, they may remaining time, they may choose specialized courses choose specialized courses in fields such as tax, labor, in fields such as tax, labor, or corporate law. or corporate law.

The required college and law The required college and law school education usually school education usually takes 7 years of full-time takes 7 years of full-time study after high school - 4 study after high school - 4 years of undergraduate years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of study, followed by 3 years of law school.law school.

Law students often gain Law students often gain practical experience by practical experience by participating in school-participating in school-sponsored legal clinics, in sponsored legal clinics, in the school’s mock court the school’s mock court competitions, in practice competitions, in practice trials under the supervision trials under the supervision of experienced lawyers and of experienced lawyers and judges; and through judges; and through research and writing on legal research and writing on legal issues for the school’s law issues for the school’s law journals.journals.

How much is a criminal lawyer’s How much is a criminal lawyer’s salary? salary?

Salaries of experienced attorneys vary widely according to the type, size, and location of their employer. Lawyers who own their own practices usually earn less than those who are partners in law firms.

Lawyers starting their own practice may need to work part time in other occupations to supplement their income until their practice is well established.

EmployerEmployer SalarySalary

All graduatesAll graduates 68,50068,500

Private Private PracticePractice

108,500108,500

BusinessBusiness 69,10069,100

GovernmentGovernment 50,00050,000Academic/Academic/

Judicial Judicial ClerkshipsClerkships

48,00048,000

CitationsCitations http://www.lawforkids.org/speakup/view_qhttp://www.lawforkids.org/speakup/view_q

uestion.cfm?id=273uestion.cfm?id=273 http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htmhttp://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm http://www.career-descriptions-and-http://www.career-descriptions-and-

jobs.com/CriminalLawyer.htmljobs.com/CriminalLawyer.html http://www.uscollegesearch.org/criminal-http://www.uscollegesearch.org/criminal-

justice-colleges.htmljustice-colleges.html http://education-portal.com/articles/http://education-portal.com/articles/

Top_Schools_for_Criminal_Justice,_Law_EnfTop_Schools_for_Criminal_Justice,_Law_Enforcement,_and_Corrections_Programs.htmlorcement,_and_Corrections_Programs.html