How to Become a Defense Lawyer
A defense lawyer is the one which defends the accused party in cases. He/she defends the charges laid on his/her client and is thereby known as a defense lawyer or a defense attorney.
Many defense lawyers begin their career by working with the state. The government appoints them to defend the accused party in cases where the defendant cannot afford to have a lawyer. In such cases, generally criminal cases, the government files a case to be heard in front of a jury against a person and in order to give the defendant a chance of a fair trial and prove his innocence, the government select an attorney from its set of lawyers and assigns him/her to the defendant.
The defense lawyers then try their level best to defend the case for his client and try to prove the prosecution wrong. They use various types of proofs to support their cases and have the defendant bailed out or acquitted from the charges. On the other hand, the prosecutor gives his full efforts in ensuring that the defendant is proven guilty.
Defense lawyers can also start their own practice after joining a private firm or launching their own. In this article, we will try to explain how you can become one as well.
Instructions
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1
College degree
One of the foremost steps in making your career in law is to obtain a four-year college degree. In case you do not have it, you will not be able to move ahead in your law career. -
2
LSAT
The second most important step is to take the Law School Admission Test. The LSAT will help the universities check your aptitude for a law school. -
3
Apply for law schools
Apply to various law schools across the country. Your admission in a good law school depends on your GPA and the result of the LSAT. Better the grades, better chances you will have at securing admission in a top law school. -
4
Internships
After you secure admission in a law school, a good idea is to do internships at firms which excel at criminal law. -
5
Obtain law degree
Obtaining a law degree is the most difficult step in becoming a lawyer. It is not going to be easy, and you will require a lot of hard work. -
6
Bar exam
After you have a law degree, you need to pass the bar exam of your respective state. It is not easy and may require several attempts before you can get through. -
7
Try to become public prosecutor
Becoming a public prosecutor is a great way to start your career as a defence lawyer. Although you will be appointed by the government to help those who cannot afford a lawyer, and your salary is not going to be on the high side, it will give you great practical experience in improving your skills. -
8
Join a private law firm
After you have had enough experience, you can join a private law firm that specialises in defense cases. That’s the place where you can make big money and enjoy your career as a defense lawyer.
