criminal defense
criminal defense questions and answers
Q: How do I become a white collar criminal defense attorney?
I know I have to go to Law School which I am applying to this fall and pass the bar but what's next? What do firms look for in a white collar criminal defense attorney? Do I have to work in some other law specialties before I go in to it?
A: You can try to find a job in a law firm that specializes in white collar defense work, but it may be difficult. Most firms look at grades when looking for interns/law clerks who have completed their first year of law school.
You may have to clerk/intern at the public defender's office - those are primarily "blue-collar" crimes, but you will get experience defending criminals, going to trial, etc. Things that will make you more marketable...
Q: How do lawyers (specifically Criminal Defense Attorneys) use computers in their career field?
I am a Freshman in college, and I'm going to college to eventually become a Criminal Defense Attorney. In my Computers class, we have to give a presentation on how computers are used in our career field. I'm hoping some people, or even true lawyers, could give me some advice. Thanks!
*sigh* spam.
A: #1 use: word processing
#2 use: research
Choosing a career is one of life's most important decisions. If you possibly can, change your major asap.
The legal profession is dramatically changing and is in CRISIS!!! Every year, more and more people graduate from law school, but there are fewer and fewer jobs. Even the largest and most reputable law firms are experiencing unprecedented cutbacks. I don't expect the situation to improve in the coming years.....
Be aware of what you are proposing on getting yourself into. Please do more research first. Reminder: We are in a World-wide Recession. Consider career paths that have available JOBS.<<<<<
Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast!! This is just not a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING, crumbling, and dying vocational field. Many reasons. We now have computers. So, many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet. Also, there are a lot of companies out there making very efficient legal software for the field of Law. Today's graduating lawyers tend to be very computer savvy, so they just do the work themselves to save themselves the cost of overhead. Also, the "Public" buys this legal software in order to get legal work done without the cost of an Attorney. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals - we have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc)
Sites like legalzoom.com have taken away work that many small-time attorneys/lawyers would do.
The field of Law has a mystique that actually exceeds reality. The field of Law is an overrated career - mostly by television. There are many myths regarding the field of Law: working as a Lawyer is mentally challenging (Actually, most work as an attorney involves routine paperwork: research, cite checking, drafting documents, and document review. Attorneys need to write down and track every activity they do, all day long [in 6 to 15 minutes increments, depending on the billing system] - a painstaking but necessary task), being an attorney is thrilling, high-powered, and glamorous (remember: television is fiction - the fictional lawyers on TV are ACTORS - the majority of work that an attorney does, does not happen in a courtroom), law students think that because they are good at arguing they will become great attorneys (actually being a great attorney is more in one's ability to mediate between differing sides and bringing them to agreement), as a lawyer I can correct injustices (actually legal decisions are more about reaching compromises than about right vs. wrong), guaranteed financial success (actually when salaries are compared, you also need to account for cost-of living expenses [most large law firms are in large cities - the bigger the city, the more cost-of-living expenses will be], payment of debts accrued while attending law school, and time needed to build a client base. Many large law firms require lawyers to work 60-80 hours per week.).
Cost of law school to be lawyer, approx $150,000+.
Be prepared to take on a LOT of debt.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
There are no jobs in this vocational field. My family, coworkers, friends, acqaintances, etc. have been laid off left and right in this vocational field.
Employers (usually law firms) in the field of Law today want employees with degrees from traditional colleges/universities. Those "certificates" you see advertised aren't worth the paper they are printed on - they are generally scams. (I found this out the hard way.) Also, the law school's program needs to be accredited by the American Bar Association - if it isn't, you are just wasting your time/money.
Even if you finish law school, you won't be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking, many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid <
Q: Can a malaysian lawyer practice both criminal defense and prosecution?
I mean,in malaysia,I want to be a criminal lawyer. But I'm not sure whether can a lawyer in Malaysia perform persecution and criminal defense at the same time?
A: I think that performing persecution would be outlawed. One lawyer acting for defence and prosecution at the same time, on the same case, should never happen!
Q: Do you know of any good criminal defense attorneys in Michigan?
I need an attorney to expunge my record. Anyone on here a criminal defense attorney in Michigan?
A: I am not a criminal defense lawyer in Michigan, however you can log onto (lawresearch.com) and they have a referral service for all states and all areas of practice.~
Q: Why is there alot more male criminal defense lawyers then females?
Why is there more male criminal defense lawyers then female criminal defense lawyers? I mean is there one? I've been looking for one but can't seem to find one.
A: female have more moral and intestinal courage
Q: What is the average starting salary for criminal defense attorneys?
Specifically, what is the salary for law grads coming from a top 20 school in private practice?
From my perusal of various statistics, median salaries of grads coming from top20 schools in private practice for all areas combined are in the 100k+ range, but I would like to know what it is for criminal defense.
A: That might be a little optimistic, but I definitely would avoid looking in smaller towns to medium sized towns with a law school already located in it. For example, we live in Florida, and $100,000 is not typical of a salary of a lawyer with no experience in our town regardless of where he has gone to school b/c there is already a law school in town and there is so much competition for jobs as a lot of law school grads tend to stay in town (like we did). In a larger city though like Orlando or Miami I think you might be able to get that salary though. Good luck with your job hunt!
Q: What should I get my bachelors degree in to become a criminal defense lawyer?
Graduated high school with no experience, no classroom work, nothing to do with law. However criminal defense seems interesting. What would you recommend to get my bachelors degree in? and would you say a law school would frown upon 2 years at a local community college, and then a transfer to a 4 year? Would you recommend another field of law? any and all opinions appreciated.
A: Previous poster "kapn" is right on target - again.
Choosing a career is one of life's most important and difficult decisions.
We simply already have way too many Legal Professionals. AND the legal profession is dramatically changing; it is in absolute CRISIS!!! Job searching in this vocational field has changed >>DRAMATICALLY<< in the last five years. And, every year, more and more people graduate from law school, but there are fewer and fewer jobs. Even the largest and most reputable law firms are experiencing unprecedented cutbacks. I don't expect the situation to improve in the coming years.....
Be aware of what you are proposing on getting yourself into. Please do more research first.
Reminder: We are STILL in a World-wide Recession. Consider career paths that have available JOBS.<<<<< Even in a Recovery, there are some jobs that just won't return - the field of Law won't make a comeback. Too many things have changed in this vocational field.
Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast! This no longer is a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING, crumbling, and dying vocational field. Many, many reasons. We now have computers. So, many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet and legal books. Also, there are a lot of companies out there making very efficient legal software for the field of Law. Today's graduating lawyers tend to be very computer savvy, so they just do the work themselves to save themselves the cost of overhead. Also, the "Public" buys this legal software and law books in order to get legal work done without the cost of an Attorney. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals - we just have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc)
Sites like legalzoom.com have taken away work that many small-time attorneys/lawyers would do/used to do.
The field of Law has a mystique that actually exceeds reality. The field of Law is an overrated career - mostly by television.<< There are many myths regarding the field of Law: *myth: working as a Lawyer is mentally challenging (Actually, most work as an attorney involves mountains of routine paperwork: research, cite checking, drafting documents, and document review. Attorneys need to write down and track EVERY activity they do, all day long [in 6 to 15 minutes increments, depending on the billing system] - a painstaking but necessary task), *myth: being an attorney is thrilling, high-powered, and glamorous (remember: television is FICTION - the fictional lawyers on TV are ACTORS - the majority of work that an attorney does, does not happen in a courtroom), *myth: law students think that because they are good at arguing they will become great attorneys (actually being a great attorney is more in one's ability to mediate between differing sides and bringing them to agreement/compromise), *myth: as a lawyer I can correct injustices (actually legal decisions are more about reaching compromises than about right vs. wrong), *myth: guaranteed financial success (actually when salaries are compared, you also need to account for cost-of living expenses [most large law firms are in large cities - the bigger the city, the more cost-of-living expenses will be], payment of debts accrued while attending law school, and time needed to build a client base. Many large law firms require lawyers to work 60-80 hours per week.).
Cost of law school to be lawyer, approx $150,000+. Be prepared to take on a LOT of debt, if becoming an attorney is your "true", ultimate goal!!<<<
There are no jobs in this vocational field. My family, coworkers, friends, acqaintances, etc. have been laid off left and right in this vocational field.
Employers (usually law firms) in the field of Law today want employees with degrees from traditional colleges/universities. Those "certificates" you see advertised aren't worth the paper they are printed on - they are generally scams. (>>I found this out the hard way.) Also, the law school's program needs to be accredited by the American Bar Association - if it isn't, you are just wasting your time/money.
Even if you finish law school, you won't be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking (at an alarming rate), many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid <
Q: What do I need to do to fulfill my dreams of becoming a criminal defense lawyer?
I'm only a freshman in high school but I'd like to know the basic steps of becoming a criminal defense lawyer. I've always wanted to become one and I'd like to know what obstacles I have to overcome in order to do so starting with high school obstacles.
A: The route is fairly straight forward.
Get into college.
Graduate from college.
Get into law school.
(Probably intern at the Public Defenders office)
Graduate law school.
(For most states) take and pass the bar exam.
Get a passing score on the MPRE.
Get admitted into the bar and either get a job at a law firm or the PD's office.
Fulfilled dream.
Q: What are some criminal defense lawyers where you can get a free 24/7 free consultation?
Hello i was just wondering where can i call for a criminal defense lawyer 24/7 for a serious matter?
A: Get arrested and you will get to talk to a public defender.
Actually, you can look in the yellow pages, and under attorneys and you will find ads for defense attorneys that you can contact anytime.
Good luck.
Q: What is the Starting Pay for a Criminal Defense Lawyer?
How much will a person, just out of law school, make in a big city law firm as a Criminal Defense Attorney. Let's say Washington, DC or Boston, MA. Please answer only if you are a lawyer or have a vast amount of knowledge in the nature of this question. Thank you!
A: There are way too many variables to say for sure how much someone would make. If you start out with a firm, well, it would depend on the size of the firm. If it's a small firm, maybe as low as $55,000, maybe as high as, well, who knows, $100,000??? depending on how good a law school you went to and how good your grades were. If you go to a large firm, you might start as low as, say, $60,000, or you could start out in the low 100s. Depends on the firm and how badly they want you.
I just interviewed with a large public defender's office in a large city, and the starting pay there was $55,000. If I had been more experienced, I would presumably have been offered more... maybe an extra $5K for every couple of years of experience.
You could go out on your own, in which case your income could be zip, and it could be half a million, depending on about a bazillion things - how well you market yourself, how much people are willing to pay you, whether anyone would trust you, being right out of law school, to handle their case... endless variables. You may actually end up in the hole after you figure in costs to open and run your practice, etc. Not to mention your malpractice insurance. I worked for a criminal defense attorney who had been in private practice for probably 20 years. My totally rough guess is that he made about $200K a year.
Q: what are some large criminal defense law firms in chicago?
I'm interesting in exploring job opportunities with a criminal defense firm in the city and working my way up, not sure where to look.
A: www.chicagocriminallaw.com
Michael T. Norris and John W. Callahan
Q: How much is a criminal defense lawyer for 4 counts trafficking cocaine and 1 count poss. marijuana?
How much is a criminal defense lawyer for 4 counts trafficking cocaine and 1 count poss. marijuana. Need to know asap.
I know about public defenders. Im not an idiot. But public defenders dont do ANYTHING. He is going to get maximum time with a p.d.
And I dont know what that slang is.. what is a quarter pound and 2 dime bags
A: Probably cost you a quarter pound, and 2 dime bags.
Q: what are some criminal defense lawyers where you can get a free 24/7 free consultation?
Hello i was just wondering where can i call for a criminal defense lawyer 24/7 for a serious matter?
A: Normally no, unless you are a milloinaire and pay an attorney 1000' of dollars in retainers each year.
But in general they have set office hours and that is about the only time you get to talk to them.
If actually arrested, many have on call attorneys that can show up at questioning.
Q: what is the average annual salary for a criminal defense lawyer?
please give answers for both criminal defense lawyers in a private practice, and a state/district attorney. thanks!!
A: Too much. If the lawyers (congressmen) are going to limit what doctors can be paid to provide you with health care, then we should limit what lawyers can make so that all Americans have real access to the legal system.
Q: Can you Recommend me The Best Criminal Defense Attorney in Santa Clara County?
I need to know The best Criminal Defense Attorney in Santa Clara County?
A: His name is Richard Wadd. I've met him..
As long as you've got money, he's got time.
Tell Dick I sad hello.