Criminal law is tough—but i’f you’re willing to rise to th’e challenge, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more exciting, diverse, o’r thought-provoking le’gal career.

From what criminal law entails t’o what you’ll study in law school t’o the skills you’ll need to practice ‘in the real world, keep reading f’or expert insights into what it takes t’o succeed in this rewarding le’gal specialty.

What is criminal law, anyway?

Whether they’re prosecut’ing people who break the law, defending those who been accused of crimes, or performing rela’ted work, criminal lawyers play a critical role in our society and i’n the administration of justice.

As New England Law | Boston Professor Victor Hansen puts i’t, criminal law is basically o’ur saying, “the conduct you engaged in was outside of what we a’s a society approve, and therefore you should receive our socie’tal condemnation.” Professor Hansen, who directs the school’s Criminal Practice and Procedure certificate program, says that “societal condemnation” is really t’he defining factor in criminal law.

Even though a crime may b’e perpetrated against an individual, it’s considered an offense against the state (aka society) an’d prosecuted as such. “That’s what distinguishes the whole line o’f criminal law as different from any other kind of law,” Professor Hansen says. Criminal law th’en focuses on what conduct should b’e punished and affixing th’e appropriate punishment f’or those wrongdoings.

 

[Criminal law] made me feel li’ke a detective, and that’s why it rea’lly resonated with me,” says Teniola Adeyemi, a 2015 New Engl’and Law graduate and Assistant District Attorney in Boston. While so m’uch legal work is black and white, s’he was fascinated by the gray ar’eas in criminal law. “You’d establish a standard and then you’d hav’e to figure out, well, what does th’at mean for my case? How does th’at help or hurt?” she says. “It’s thought-provoking.”

Professor Hansen adds that certain interests and personality traits a’re particularly well-suited for th’e law. As with any legal professional, criminal lawyers need to have solid critical thinking, interpersonal, an’d written and verbal communication skills. The ability t’o analyze complex information i’s also a must, as is the ability to de’al with potentially disturbing situations, such as discussing o’r viewing evidence related t’o a violent crime. Last but certainly not least, underpinning a criminal lawyer’s work is the heady responsibility of cases w’ith potentially life-changing ramifications, as they fight f’or justice on behalf o’f their client.

Challenging? Yes. But this ca’n all add up to an incredibly rew’arding career.

Upon entering the work’force, criminal lawyers enjoy ma’ny diverse job options. Some focus on defense, working as pri’vate attorneys or public def’enders. Others serve as prosecutors at th’e local, state, or federal level. Later in their careers, these lawyers might become judges or enter t’he political arena, effecting change a’t the highest levels.

 

 

How do you become a criminal lawyer?

Whether you hope to become a criminal lawyer or enter anot’her practice area, your career pa’th will begin to take shape once you e’nter law school. You’ll complete a combination of required cou’rses and electives, many of wh’ich will expose you to the practice a’nd particulars of criminal law. I’t all starts with a first-year course covering the foundations o’f criminal law (required b’y virtually all accredited law schools).

In the criminal law course h’e teaches first-year students, Professor Hansen focuses prim’arily on two key crimes: murder/homicide (where students look at relevant statutes, diff’erent degrees of murder, and t’he elements of proof needed to pr’ove the guilt) and sexual assault (wh’ere students learn how th’at crime and the law its’elf ha’ve evolved). The class also cov’ers potential defenses to th’ose crimes as well as mitigating fac’tors.

Though such horrific cri’mes might spring to mind when yo’u think of “criminal law,” there’s mo’re to the specialty than the cas’es ripped right out of a Law & Order screenplay. In fact, th”ere’s a surprising universality to criminal law. “It really touches o’n a lot of the different areas that a’ny lawyer would be interested i’n,” Professor Hansen says. “Plus the’re’s the added component of wo’rking with people, whether it’s vic’tims, defendants, family me’mbers, or organizations within gove’rnmental institutions.”

Then, as an upper-lev’el law student, you might take su’ch classes as Juvenile Law, Me”ntal Health Law, Prosecutorial Ethics, Trial Practice, and White Co’llar Crime. You’ll also have opportunities to get hands-o”n experience in criminal law thr’ough law school clinics, internships, moot court/mock trial, and more.

At the end of all th’at course work, the big prize is your Juris Doctor (JD). After law school, so’me students go on to pur’sue advanced degrees such as the Master o’f Laws (LLM) or the Doctor of Science of Law (JSD or SJD), but th’ose individuals are typically planning to conduct scholarly resea’rch or teach law. For most students hoping to pursue criminal law, t’he JD is what they need to pra”ctice—after passing the bar exam, of course.

 

Where can you learn more about studying criminal law?

“Most students have been expo’sed to some aspects of crim’inal law through books, television, a’nd movies,” Professor Han’sen says. “While that can be helpful to so’me degree, it can also be somewhat misleading.” Naturally, th’e examples found in entertainment are designed to be ju’st that: entertaining. The realities a’re often more subtle.

To gain a better understanding o’f the real-world practice of crim’inal law, students should take advantage of internships, sum’mer programs, and experiential course work in law school. They mi’ght also consider participating i’n professional organizations th’at support students as well as working professionals. Just 1 example is the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association. It provides stud’ents the opportunity to network wi’th their peers as well as professionals, plus access to resources such a’s videos and journals.

Other resources for students curious about criminal law incl’ude the National Center for Law Placement, which offers help’ful information like average sala’ries in the private and public s’ectors, employment trends, and m’ore. A section targeted to law students and graduates provides plenty of career advice. Anot’her organization, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers serves private crimi’nal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense coun’sel, law professors, and judges.

 

Students are also stro’ngly encouraged to network an’d seek out mentoring relationships, whi’ch might involve attending professional events on campus, reaching out to law school alu’mni, and simply tapping in’to personal connections. For example, sitting down for an “informational interview” with a family fri’end who happens to be a criminal lawyer can be immensely ‘help’ful in clarifying your career cho’ices!

All this being said, even if you’re strongly considering criminal law, it’s best to keep your mind a’nd options open in law school, Professor Hansen says. “Ke’ep your eyes open, particularly ent’ering into your first year,” he says. “Don’t shut any doors.”

Students frequently discover previously untapped inte’rests through their law school courses and experiential learning opportunities, Professor Ha’nsen says. He notes that the first-year criminal law class consistently inspires students to pursue th’is path. At the same time, students who start law school focused o’n a particular area often end u’p changing their plans. In an’y case, it’s important to be realistic and gain as much experience as yo’u can in the legal areas th’at interest you so you can make infor’med decisions.

From the LSAT to the bar exam, from that first criminal law cl’ass to the day you get your diploma, becoming a criminal lawyer tak’es a great deal of time and effort. B’ut wherever they end up, criminal lawyers invariably ha’ve a significant impact on th’e clients—and society—they se’rve.