How to Become a Criminal Lawyer

Does working with accused criminals to ensure they are afforded all the protections available under the law sound appealing? If so, a career as a criminal lawyer may be perfect for you.

In the United States, individuals are innocent until they are proven guilty. In most cases, criminals must be found guilty beyond a "reasonable shadow of a doubt." This legal foundation gives rise to the important job of a criminal lawyer. It is the criminal lawyer’s job to defend the accused against the prosecution's claims and place sufficient doubt into the mind of a jury to keep their client from being proven guilty, or to receive the least possible punishment for their crimes.

Often accused criminals will want to see a lawyer before discussing their situation with the police. Criminal lawyers will begin to build a case from the beginning of the process. All the discussions with police and responsible parties will be based on helping to protect their client from injustice or overbearing punishment. They perform these services no matter what their personal feelings are on their client’s guilt or innocence.

The job of a criminal lawyer usually requires a high level of dedication, long hours and prolonged periods of stress. As a reward for success, criminal law can be one of the highest paying legal career paths. While the salaries can vary wildly based on where the criminal lawyer practices and their success rate, generally criminal lawyers in private practice earn substantial rewards. Criminal lawyers working for the government in defense have a starting salary around $50,000, while those starting in private practice often have a starting salary over $100,000.http://www.bls.gov/oco/Ocos053.htm

While in high school, the future criminal lawyer should focus on obtaining excellent grades and developing their research, writing and reading skills. With strong marks and college entrance exam scores, you should have your pick of good undergraduate colleges. Select the college with the best record of getting graduates into law school.

At the undergraduate level, you can select from a wide variety of degrees, but often students pursing a career in criminal law will get a law related degree, criminal justice degree, or a degree in English. Select the degree that will help improve your weaknesses the best. You can always choose to major in one field and minor in another, or take electives in other areas to increase your knowledge base.

As you near completion of your undergraduate degree, you will need to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Obtaining a strong score on the LSAT is needed to get into a top law school because entrance competition is high. Opt to study for the LSAT through an official review course or through LSAT study guides.

When deciding on which law school to attend, try to find one that offers a concentration in criminal law and a strong professor panel versed in criminal law. The better prepared you are in your criminal law concentration, the better you will be able to perform as soon as you finish law school.

Your law school education provided theory and a base of law knowledge on a variety of legal areas. This preparation is critical to helping you become a member of the bar in the state(s) where you want to practice. To gain membership to the bar, you must meet each state’s entrance requirements. Typically, you will need to pass a bar exam which could be the Multistate Essay Exam, Multistate Bar Exam, or other exam. Some states also require completion of the Multistate Professional Responsibility exam. http://www.bls.gov/oco/Ocos053.htm

While bar exam specific vary, most last about 6 hours and are made up of a combination of multiple choice and essay questions. The exam covers multiple areas of law including evidence, real property, constitutional law, contract and criminal law. These are the basic areas of law deemed important for all lawyers to know, regardless of your desired specialization.

By most accounts, the bar exam is a rigorous examination that requires intense preparation to pass. Develop a study strategy that will enhance your chances for successfully passing the bar exam on your first try. Consider creating a study group, taking a formal review class such as one from Kaplan or studying on your own with the aid of review books.

You have several career paths to work in criminal law. You can opt for a career in a law firm that focuses on criminal law or you can work for the government as a legal defender. It is often difficult for lawyers first out of law school without trial experience to gain a position in a good law firm, so many choose to work in a government position or with a nonprofit organization to help them increase their real work knowledge, develop their skills and gain valuable experience. After gaining sufficient experience, many lawyers will move into their own private practice, or into a position at a law firm.

During your beginning years as a criminal lawyer, focus on increasing your skills set. Consider taking additional seminars or courses on forensic law and criminal law subjects as well as in public speaking and debate. Consider joining your local Toastmaster club for a way of enhancing your public speaking skills outside the work environment.

You should also join a professional organization that gets you access to valuable industry publications, training opportunities and provides interaction with other criminal lawyers. One of the top organizations for criminal lawyers is the National Association of Criminal Lawyers.http://www.criminaljustice.org/public.nsf/freeform/publicwelcome?opendocument