Everything you need to know about criminal attorney – They are popularly known as criminal lawyer who focuses on criminal cases and represents either the state or the party charged with the crime.
This blog post contains all the necessary info you need to know about criminal attorneys. And how you can become a criminal lawyer, the requirements needed of you, the types of criminal lawyers, how it works, and many more. Read on to explore.
Criminal Attorney
You have the right to defend yourself against those charges if you are charged with a crime. To defend yourself, you need a criminal attorney to help you out if you are not one.
However, questioning from police, a judge, or a prospector on your own can be intimidating when you are not a lawyer. That is why criminal defense attorneys handle these interactions for a living. They talk with any forces and judges regularly and help in crafting your legal defense.
What is a Criminal Attorney?
A criminal attorney also known as a criminal lawyer is a lawyer who focuses on the defense of individuals or companies who are involved in criminal cases.
However, criminal defense attorneys start their work by researching the facts, investigating the case against their clients, and trying to convert their opponents. The cases may be about the safety of property or moral welfare.
Duties and responsibilities of a criminal attorney
The following duties are performed by a criminal attorney:
- They conduct interviews with witnesses
- They identify and gather witnesses
- They build good defenses
- They help examine crime scenes and evidence
- Drafting, filling and countering appeals.
- Public defender or private law firm
However, they also provide more personal services by giving the defendant a reality check on the possible outcomes. And also helping the defendant deal with the issue so they won’t be thrown into the criminal justice system.
How long does it take to become a criminal Attorney?
It can take you anywhere between 3 and 13 years after you complete your high secondary from a recognized board.
However, you will also need to dedicate some time to clear the bar exam and gain work experience. According to the academic journey, a criminal attorney can be broken up as follow:
- 3 years to complete a bachelor’s course in legislative law or an LLB degree
- BA LLB or an integrated arts course takes 5 years to complete.
- Postgraduates take 1-2 years to complete law courses.
- D. in law takes 6 years to complete.
Types of Criminal Attorneys
You can hunt the following job roles as a criminal lawyer based on your specific interest and skill sets.
Government Advocate
These are employed by state governments to start exact responsibilities as set by the Indian Code of Civil Procedure.
Public Prosecutor
Public prosecutors signify cases from the state side against individuals or industries in alleged criminal activities. They are part of the state’s judiciary and handle procedures related to litigation.
Criminal law practitioners
These people are responsible for the periodic evolution of legal frameworks to improve usability for lawyers, judiciary, and students
How to Become a Criminal Lawyer
Here are the steps you need to take to build a career as a criminal lawyer.
Complete high secondary education
You have to prepare and appear for the law entrance examination. Your aggregate mark should be 50%-60% marks to be eligible to pursue the undergraduate course. You will have to take the following test:
- Common Law Admission Test
- Law School Admission Test
- All India Law Entrance Test
- Symbiosis Entrance Test
- Delhi University Law Entrance Exam
You must complete an undergraduate course in Law
Applicants can complete an undergraduate course in law in two ways. Either to pursue an LLB degree that focuses on legal studies or a BA LLB degree that has arts subjects.
Pass the Bar Exam
You will need to appear for the pass bar council exam of jurisdiction to be able to appear in high court or supreme court cases.
Pursue a post-graduate law degree
You can go for a post-graduate law degree through a master’s course in criminal law, which grants you an LLM degree on completion.
Pursue a doctorate in Law
Pursue a Ph.D. or doctorate in law if you wish to pursue and take your legal studies further.
Gain work experience
Once you graduate from the school, you should try to gain work experience under an established criminal lawyer in a legal firm.
Is a Private Attorney Better Than a Court-Appointed Attorney?
Culprits occasionally believe that private attorneys possess a distinct advantage over the banal public defender’s office or panel attorneys who are paid a minimum fee. Many private attorneys are former prosecutors or public defenders.
Based on research having private versus court-appointed attorney data seems to indicate that the results for defendants are often the same. For instance, clients represented by private counsel often have short or no prior criminal records, while indigent defendants are twice as likely to be repeat offenders.
FAQs
Which course is best for criminal Law?
Some of the famous courses offer at the PG level in the field of Criminal Law include LLM, LLM in Criminal and Security Law, LLM in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice and Administrative Law, LLM in Criminal and Business Law, etc.
Which type of lawyer makes the most money?
Patent lawyers are among the highest-paid types of lawyers and earn one of the highest median salaries. These legal professionals advise clients about patents so their clients can obtain patents granted by patent offices around the world.
Can lawyers make 1 million a year?
Yes, you can make a million dollars a year but it depends on your mindset and strategy. However, it requires optimization and doing business with the highest-paying clients.
Is Law School Difficult?
In terms of stress, workload, and required commitment, law school is hard. It is even harder than regular college universities but a lot of people graduate from law schools every year, and it is attainable.
DON’T MISS OUT MORE GUIDES FROM MYCINEGIST
