Criminal Lawyer Job Description, Skills, and Salary Scale
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a criminal lawyer. Feel free to use our criminal lawyer job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a criminal lawyer.
Who is a Criminal Lawyer?
Criminal lawyers can also be called criminal defense lawyers. A criminal lawyer is someone who defends individuals, organizations, institutions, or entities that have been accused of a crime. Criminal lawyers wide range of cases ranging from domestic violence crimes, sex crimes, violent crimes and drug crimes to driving under the influence, theft, embezzlement, and fraud. A criminal lawyer is not supposed to be biased but act neutrally and ensure that the rights of those prosecuted are protected. This implies that a good criminal lawyer must ensure that the law is fair to the prosecuted. Criminal lawyers are mostly known as legal practitioners and they are seen as interpreters of the law. A criminal lawyer must be someone who can work under duress.
What is Criminal Law?
Criminal law can be defined as criminal offenses against the constitution of a country. Criminal law abhors what is a threat to the welfare of the country. These criminal behaviors can be murders, theft, money laundering, assault, and motor crimes. The criminal justice system of any country in the world performs a dual function. Criminal justice uses the law to control individuals’ actions in the state and also helps people to understand that they will face consequences for bridging the law. Criminal law also states the punishment of those who violate the laws of the state
A criminal lawyer serves as a representative of defendants facing criminal charges in state, federal, or local courts. Some terminologies are rampant in the practice of criminal law and they are; bail, bond hearings, plea bargains, trial, revocation hearings, appeals, and post-conviction remedies.
The work schedule of a criminal lawyer is full-time work hours each week; that is to say approximately 40 hours per week. Legal practitioners can work in a private or public firm spending most of their time preparing and reviewing documents and also conducting research.
The Role of Technology in Criminal Law
Technology is playing a huge role in criminal law. The technology used in criminal law is automated sentencing and it is becoming popular day in and day out. Automated systems have been developed for criminal law, including pre-trial evaluations and post-conviction proceedings. All these technologies or applications cannot be compared to life sentences.
Recently, it seems like Al systems will get more popular by the day when it comes to handing out long prison sentences- potentially reducing bias against some specific races or demographics and also heightening the consistency of punishment across similar cases.
The world is becoming more digital and more documents in the court are also becoming digital, lawyers are discovering that they can manage their case files more effectively than ever before. The trend ongoing currently is the use of electronic courts records which has led to a tremendous increase in legal practitioners who specializes in technology law. Most of these legal professionals counsel clients on how to store data securely while also minimizing liability related to cyber security.
The recent advancement in artificial intelligence; has made it easy for computers to analyze massive amounts of data and perform tasks that will have been tedious for humans to perform alone.
In the legal profession, this new trend is a new form of evidence known as “predictive coding”. This is where a computer scans massive amounts of data and identifies items that are paramount to a case, allowing attorneys to pay attention to these specific pieces of information.
Criminal Lawyer Job Description
Below are the criminal lawyer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a criminal lawyer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a criminal lawyer include the following:
- Representing clients or defendants in all stages of criminal prosecution, from police investigation to presenting their case in court as an advocate
- Advising clients via telephone or in-person
- Evaluating and assessing documentation that relates to an offense and the case( including witness statements, police reports, forensic reports, and medical records)
- Drafting or writing legal documents
- Visiting prisons to liaise with defendants and also liaising with the law agents
- Establishing a complete, accurate, and compelling defense for the accused
- Observing the legal rights of an offender
- Giving a detailed explanation of what could have happened to the case
- Providing direction and counsel to the accused
- Deliberating whether the evidence gathered is strong enough to the accused
- Advocating for the accused by challenging the evidence and interviewing witnesses to support their case
- Ensuring a fair hearing is provided if the case goes to court.
- Examining police evidence and deciding whether to progress criminal proceeding
- Collaborating with a team of caseworkers and administrative staff
- Communicating with the police. Probation services and other law enforcement and criminal justice agencies
- Liaising with court staff and Criminal Defence Solicitors
- Communicating with the victims of the crime
- Ensuring that a defendant gets fair treatment
- Presenting the case against the defendant in court
- Advising and instructing court counsel
- Scheduling court appearances and meetings and also keeping files of all legal matters about cases
- Negotiating with the prosecutor on behalf of clients to reach a plea agreement or get charges dismissed
- Conducting thorough research to build a case from the initial stage to the end by studying regulations and precedents. In addition, interviewing witnesses and clients to collect enough evidence.
- Undergoing training to keep up with the trend and new developments in the legal field
- Conducting yourself ethically and professionally at all times
Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s degree in Law
- Passed state bar examination
- Adhere to Local, State, and Federal laws
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong critical thinking and research skills
- Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills
- Ability to collaborate with another team of lawyers
- Occasional travel required
- Determination and motivation
- A high degree of social intelligence
- Neutrality and impartiality
- The ability to work well in a high-pressure environment
- Excellent verbal and presentation skills
Essential Skills
The following are requisite skills that a criminal lawyer must possess:
- Writing and Speaking Skills: a criminal lawyer must be someone who has excellent writing and speaking skills to defend a case before a judge or to convince a jury. A criminal lawyer must be someone that can draft reports and present samples of evidence in a law court.
- Research and Investigative Skills: a criminal lawyer must be someone that digs into a case in-depth; he must be research-oriented. These skills will help the criminal attorney to build on a case by gathering enough evidence.
- Interpersonal Skills: Excellent interpersonal skills are highly vital for a criminal lawyer that wants to have a relationship with clients. Criminal defendants someone that is caring to relate freely with the person; a criminal lawyer must be caring and accommodating
- Legal knowledge and experience: a criminal lawyer must have an in-depth understanding of the State, Federal, Local laws, court procedures, evidentiary laws, and local judges to navigate the criminal justice system efficiently and completely.
- Judgment: Criminal lawyers must possess excellent judgment because they are solely responsible for determining which cases they should take or turn down and also how best to defend a case in their client’s interest. They must also decide when it is appropriate to settle a case or appeal a verdict.
- Negotiation Skills: criminal lawyers must be highly negotiable to negotiate with prosecutors or opposing counsel to get an agreement that is best for their clients. A criminal lawyer does everything in his/her capacity to fight for his or her client
- Aptitude for public speaking: criminal lawyers often stand before judges, juries, a large groups of people to speak on behalf of their clients. They also make strong arguments with another opposing attorney in front of Judges and juries during trials. A criminal lawyer must be very bold and possess strong public speaking skills.
- Analytical Skills: a criminal lawyer must possess an analytical mind because he/she will analyze facts in the courtroom during a trial.
How to Become a Criminal Lawyer
To qualify as a criminal lawyer, you need to take the following steps;
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Law
An Individual considering being a criminal lawyer must enroll for a bachelor’s degree in law which usually takes five years to complete. A criminal lawyer should enroll for his or her law degree in an accredited law university or college to be accepted into law school. Students must take classes in areas like evidence, contracts, and torts. Students are also mandated to complete a significant amount of legal research and writing to graduate with their law degree. After the law degree; criminal lawyers proceed to law school.
- Acquire a State License
All lawyers are required to obtain a state license in their state of residency or practice; this license requires them to pass the final bar examination. Criminal lawyers are also mandated to complete some legal education courses to maintain their license
- Certifications
Some criminal lawyers can earn a board certification from the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification (NBLSC). The NBLSC is a non-profit organization accredited by the American Bar Association to provide certification for attorneys and it is an outgrowth of the National Board of trial and Advocacy.
- Enroll for Internship
Obtaining the right working experience is very crucial for a criminal lawyer. A criminal lawyer can enroll for an internship or volunteer or perhaps join a debating team. Criminal lawyers are required to complete an internship in a prosecutor’s office or law office. This will be an eye-opener for them because it gives them the first-hand experience they need to handle trials and other legal matters.
- Drafting a Resume
The best resume for criminal lawyers includes details about their past legal experiences, evidence of education, and also moral work practices. In your resume; emphasize your ability to work under pressure and also maintain a calm personality. In addition, show your ability to think analytically and creatively while on your feet.
Ensure to focus on your trial experience rather than enumerating cases you have worked on. Emphasize any complicated case you worked on that received media coverage which also allowed you to work with a senior attorney of your state.
- Apply for Jobs
Criminal lawyers often depend on connections and word-of-mouth to get job openings. Contact people who are already working in the field such as alumni of your law school or anyone who you know works as a lawyer.
Make good use of social media sites and join groups related to your area of practice. Also, consider joining legal professional organizations such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) where you will get to meet with high-profile attorneys. In addition, attend law conferences and seminars. Use all these networks to learn about companies and their needs for new employees.
- Beat the Interview
In the job scene, there is a lot of competition for the post of a criminal lawyer; you need to stand out among other candidates. To stand out, make thorough research about the legal field and questions you might be asked during an interview. Think about the working experience you have and how it can equip you for the position you are applying for. For instance, if you have worked on a case that requires meeting up with deadlines; mention these experiences during your interview.
To be the best candidate, you have to be very organized and show your potential employee your ability to multi-task. Demonstrate how well you worked under duress in your previous work placement. In addition, show your potential employee your ethical personality as a criminal lawyer and also get to know the interviewer.
Where can a Criminal Lawyer Work?
The following are places where a criminal lawyer can work:
- Federal, State, and Local courts
- Private Law firms
- Companies
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Institutions
- Agencies
Criminal Lawyer Salary
- The median annual wage for criminal lawyers is $92,000. The highest earners make a salary of $160,000 per year in the United States.
A criminal lawyer’s salary depends on his experience as a criminal lawyer. The geographical location of the criminal lawyer is another factor that determines his/her salary. Public defender and non-profit salaries are usually ranging from $30,000 to $50,000.
- In the United Kingdom, female criminal lawyers earn an average salary of 32,599pounds while their male counterparts earn much more at 43,260pounds.