A career in law can allow you to make a huge impact on the lives of others. However, the scope of your impact can change depending on the type of law you practice. If you are considering a career as a lawyer, it is important to know your options.
Take a look at a few types of lawyers and what you can expect if you choose to pursue each specialty.
Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury lawyers typically practice cases of civil litigations which do not involve criminal intent, but rather situations that arise as a result of personal injury from incidents such as car accidents or medical malpractice. In these cases, an individual is often owed a settlement as a result of the incident, and the personal injury lawyers fight to make that happen.
In situations such as Camp Lejeune information, personal injury lawyers work with a large number of clients to file claims for harm done to many individuals, and oftentimes, situations such as these do not require the case to be settled in court. These lawyers may fight for settlements owed due to emotional or physical damage, and may also work with family members of individuals who died as a result of the event.
Criminal Defense Lawyer
Criminal defense lawyers are one of the most common types of lawyers people are most familiar with. These lawyers work to defend individuals who are accused of a criminal act. The defense is focused on defending the rights of the accused while also leveraging the law in the best interest of the individual. Due to the nature of the cases taken on by criminal defense lawyers, they typically spend a lot of time in the courtroom in comparison to other lawyers.
Johnnie Cochran is a famous example of a criminal defense lawyer due to his work defending individuals such as O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson and Rosa Parks. During their cases, and many others, Cochran played a key role in proving his clients innocence.
Family Lawyer
Family lawyers are responsible for any family-related matter including but not limited to cases for adoption, child welfare and divorce proceedings. Because of the nature of their work, family lawyers can expect to be responsible for drafting contracts or negotiations for all types of situations. For example, these lawyers may need to develop plans for dividing marital assets or child custody agreements during their cases of divorce proceedings.
As a family lawyer, you may have the opportunity to work at a traditional law firm or you may find a position with an organization such as a local nonprofit, either way, you are sure to come across some very unique family law cases during your time in practice.
While you do not have to enter law school with a predetermined specialty, narrowing your focus early may prove beneficial. Choosing your specialty early may help you land specialized internships and other opportunities to put you ahead in your career and start building key connections all before you even graduate law school.
