I have always been interested in criminal law and I am thinking about going to school to be a paralegal. I would like to know how many positions there are for paralegals working in criminal law? Criminal defense is the only thing I would want to do. It appears to me that there are not many criminal law paralegals out there, am I wrong?
2006-08-08 07:24:29 · 5 answers · asked by David 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
No, not many paralegals that specialize in the area of criminal law. I am a paralegal and some of the attorneys in our office take criminal cases, but they also take personal injury cases, insurance defense cases, product liability, etc. The trick is going to be finding a law firm that specializes in criminal defense. Personally, I'll work for a defense firm but not a plaintiff firm. Good luck.
2006-08-08 07:33:48 · answer #1 · answered by Zelda 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're wrong. You're best source would be to make a few 'phone calls and speak to the paralegals/secretaries at the larger law firms in your area - the ones which handle criminal law. Try not to limit yourself so much - you never know what you might end up liking once you've spent some time learning about all facets of the law. Try to get a position as a Summer Intern - you won't get paid - but you'll learn - and you will become MUCH more marketable.
2006-08-08 07:33:13 · answer #2 · answered by 34th B.G. - USAAF 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Criminal defense lawyers are the cowboys of the legal world. Independent types. You do most of the work on your feet, in court. Shoot from the hip kinda stuff. Not much writing and filling out forms. Maybe a big firm would use paralegals for research for appellate work or death penalty cases. If you want to do research and write briefs, you could get work as a paralegal but you might have to do it as an independant contractor and market yourself directly to the lawyers.
2006-08-08 07:34:07 · answer #3 · answered by grdnoviz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
pass the paralegal. regulation college teaches you the regulation greater proper than working as a paralegal. you will intern on your 2d and third years of regulation college, which components a similar experience you're able to get as a paralegal. regulation college expenditures greater... so lots greater... yet you in addition to would make so lots greater. notice of warning: in case you opt to coach criminal regulation you will maximum in all probability start up off working contained in the DA's place of work for 3-5 years interior of which era you will no longer make lots. the enormous greenbacks in criminal regulation come when you circulate solo or connect a private criminal protection business enterprise - and those adult men do no longer hire clean attorneys.
2016-09-29 01:23:41 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contact some attorneys in your area. Get to know them, see about becoming an apprentice with them when you are about finished. Some attorneys do that. Then if they don't have an opening, they can network you into one when you finish school.
2006-08-08 08:39:21 · answer #5 · answered by midnightdealer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋