Criminal Law By: Carter, Parker, Matt, & Max
●Criminal law is any sort of legal practice that has to do with the criminal justice system. This includes prosecuting and defending individuals accused of crimes. ●Common jobs for attorneys interested in criminal law are jobs as prosecutors or defense attorneys. What is Criminal Law?
Attorney General (Federal) Attorney General (State) County District Attorney City Attorney These are all jobs for prosecutors Federal Public Defenders State Public Defenders County Public Defenders Private Practice Private Work Appellate Projects These are all jobs of Defense Attorneys Job Titles
● Rodney Hasty ● Long, Parker, Warren, Anderson, & Payne Firm ● Criminal Defense Lawyer ● Calling Mr. Hasty was a great experience, as he gave us great insight on a new career path that we didn’t have knowledge about. Informational Interview
● Undergrad at NC State ● Major-Political Science w/ concentration in Criminal Justice ● Minor-English ● Law school-Wake Forest ● Chose to be a Criminal Defense Attorney because he was previously a DA in Buncombe County and enjoyed being in the courtroom every day.
● The top law firm in the United States is Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. For 10 years in a row they have been rated the top law firm by Vault.com and Forbes.com as well. A law firm based out of New York City handles tough complex cases like Bank of America’s purchase of Merrill Lynch for 50 billion dollars. Top Law Firms in the USA
● Carly Brown- Legal intern, Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism at U.S. Department of Justice. Graduated from Wake Forest in 2013 ● Kate Brown- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section. Graduated from Wake in ● We connected with both of them on LinkedIn. One of the best things we got out of taking CNS 220 was making our LinkedIn. After experimenting and learning more about it, we now realized how valuable of an asset it is to be able to connect you with the right people you want to talk to and get to know. Wake Forest Connections
Freshman/Sophomore Year: - Focus on making good grades- GPA is key -Tell your advisor you are thinking pre-law -Join the Pre-Law Society at WFU Timeline for Entry Into Criminal Law
Junior Year: Take criminology classes Meet with Professor Laura Graham (Pre-law Advisor) Office: Worrell 3129 Start preparing for the LSAT Consider a summer internship with a legal employer If prepared take the LSAT in June Timeline for Entry Into Criminal Law
Senior Year: ●Register for the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) ●Research Law schools ○ ●Ask your professors for recommendation letters ●Take the LSAT in October if need to retake ●November- March: Apply to schools ●Hear back and decide Timeline for Entry Into Criminal Law
Get through Law school ( 3 years) Pass the Bar Exam in the state one would like to practice Become: Criminal Defense Attorney Prosecutor Public Defender Timeline for Entry Into Criminal Law
-Bright Outlook : 10% increased growth between Industry Forecasts
Industry Forecasts Continued
●Undergraduate degree (4 years) ●Law degree (3 years) ○Take courses geared towards criminology, law enforcement, & criminal law ●Take the Bar Exam (depends on the state/country) ○a written exam as well ●Climb the corporate ladder ○Article for a year ○Associate ○Lawyer ○Junior Partner of a firm ○Senior Partner Professional Expectations/Education
●Advisor and advocate for clients ●Meeting with clients ●Interviewing witnesses and complaints ●Interacting with the police/district attorney/prosecutor ●Researching case law ●Appearing in court Examples of Job Functions
● Criminal Lawyers work in offices, law libraries, and courtrooms ● Sometimes meets clients at home or in prisons or hospitals ● Travel time built in to see clients ● Must be able to handle working under pressure ● Tend to work more than 50 hours a week Work Environment
Works Cited: