Criminal lawyers are the lifeblood of the justice system in the UK, offering legal guidance to both defendants and victims in criminal cases.
Understandably, becoming a criminal lawyer requires a huge amount of commitment, time, and skill and is not a career to enter into half-heartedly.
You will need to be fully committed to learning all the intricacies of legislation, precedents, and the cases that you are involved in, not to mention having a passion for justice.
Unless you have grown up with family in the legal business or have been interested in law from an early age, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to pursuing a career as a criminal solicitor.
As one of Scotland’s foremost law firms with a track record of success in many different criminal cases, we have put together this guide detailing the responsibilities of a criminal solicitor and some top tips for starting out on your journey.
Responsibilities of a criminal solicitor
Despite being a subsection of law itself, the term criminal lawyer is still pretty broad.
For example, criminal defence solicitors have a very different role to prosecution lawyers with one tasked with providing legal advice to the accused and the other the accuser.
Barristers on the other hand will represent their clients in court (solicitors tend to work from an office) although solicitors are also qualified to perform this role and sometimes will do.
The road to criminal lawyer
A long journey, but a rewarding one.
Criminal solicitors glasgow handle some of the most sensitive and high-profile cases in the country including murder, assault, and robbery.
Most cases are heard initially at a regional Magistrates’ court, with major cases progressing further to the Crown Court where judges have the ability to hand down the biggest sentences.
Here are 5 of the biggest steps in the process towards being a criminal lawyer:
1. Undergraduate degree
As with many professions, the first step towards being a criminal lawyer is to achieve an undergraduate degree.
One route into law is to do your undergraduate degree in law, but another, which many prefer is to complete a different degree before completing a conversion course.
There are also increasingly a limited number of apprenticeship style opportunities available for top students where law firms will offer 6 years of study/work-experience as opposed to an undergraduate degree plus a Graduate Diploma in Law.
2. Further training
An undergraduate degree, even in law, is only the start of a criminal lawyer’s training, and depending on their aspirations one of the following must be completed.
For those looking to become a criminal solicitor a one-year Legal Practice Course (LPC), a two-year training placement, and a professional skills course must be completed.
To become a Criminal barrister, the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) must be completed, lasting 1-year, as well as a pupillage which involves another year of training made up of shadowing, paperwork, and real-life practice.
3. Work Experience
Work experience in your chosen field is useful no matter what job you are looking for.
For prospective criminal lawyers, however, it really is essential but although it can be helpful, this experience does not have to necessarily be only in criminal law.
More general law work, in a courtroom, or assisting with social services can also help you to develop the range of skills that will impress a law firm in the future.
Many law firms will offer some form of work experience that last a few weeks or even months such as holiday schemes.
Those who are currently studying to become a solicitor or barrister, in the middle of their LPC or BPTC can also conduct pro bono work, giving free legal advice to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.
4. Internship
Gaining a true understanding of the practicalities of criminal law cannot be done in just a few weeks of work experience.
An internship at a respected law firm, on the other hand, is the traditional and most effective way to gain law experience both during and after your studies.
Many law firms will only ever hire through their internship pool so without going down this route you are unlikely to see, never mind be hired in, the positions you are after.
For this reason, internships are extremely competitive, and you must ensure that you stand out from the crowd in order to secure one.
This can be done through your work experience and exceptional interview skills.
5. Apply for jobs
You have put a huge amount of effort in getting to this point and now it is finally time to apply for jobs as a criminal solicitor.
Criminal law jobs can be found in a range of different places including online job sites as well as the websites of established firms.