What do I need to do to fulfill my dreams of becoming a criminal defense lawyer?
Kylieee 
asked:
I’m only a freshman in high school but I’d like to know the basic steps of becoming a criminal defense lawyer. I’ve always wanted to become one and I’d like to know what obstacles I have to overcome in order to do so starting with high school obstacles.
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asked: I’m only a freshman in high school but I’d like to know the basic steps of becoming a criminal defense lawyer. I’ve always wanted to become one and I’d like to know what obstacles I have to overcome in order to do so starting with high school obstacles.
October 27th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Finish school, go to college, then go to law school, and pass the bar exam. After that you can practice what ever type of law you want.
At the moment there are no requirements that new lawyers do any type of internship, but that may come.
It might be useful if you work at a law office during the summer or after school so you can see what it is they do.
Good Luck Cindy B
October 30th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
The route is fairly straight forward.
Get into college.
Graduate from college.
Get into law school.
(Probably intern at the Public Defenders office)
Graduate law school.
(For most states) take and pass the bar exam.
Get a passing score on the MPRE.
Get admitted into the bar and either get a job at a law firm or the PD’s office.
Fulfilled dream. feanor
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:30 am
basically you want to put more effort and time into studying
you want to do as well as you can in high school as is possible
which college you pick hardly matters as long as it’s credible (no degree mills)
i recommend a very small college so you can focus on academics and keep your GPA as high as possible
what you major in is rarely a concern but the recommendation is to study something in liberal arts (english, history, communications, etc…) although there are plenty of law students who have studied engineering or science.
where you go to law school hardly matters but i would recommend doing extensive research into your options to find one that you’re comfortable with
you can specialize in criminal law without having focused on it in law school Zero1
November 5th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Get a bachelor’s degree. It can be in anything you want. Get your grades high, you’ll need a great GPA to get into law school.
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, you then need to take the LSAT test and register with the LSAT people who handle all the tests and send transcripts of yours to law schools you apply to.
Then apply to law school. Spend 3 more years in law school. Graduate law school. Take and pass the bar exam in your state. BAM! You are now an attorney.
While in law school you can major in criminal law if that is what you want to do.
After becoming a lawyer, you will have to take continuing education classes. Just an FYI. Good luck Tricia
November 6th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Other commenters are correct about the basic path - you need a college degree, then you need to go to law school and it’ll basically work itself out from there. It doesn’t really matter what you study in high school or college; you can get into law school with almost any academic background.
As for what you can do now, aside from get good grades and study hard, you should try to get an internship or a job working for a judge or the local public defender. There should be a counselor you can talk to at your high school who can help you figure out how to get such a job. Mock Trial is also a good idea if your high school has a team. These will also boost your college resume. J D
November 7th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Constitutionally speaking, you’ll have to develop a reliability to defend clients who may indeed be guilty and emotional detach yourself from anything that ruins a sound defense. I suppose some lawyers can choose their clients, but there are many defense attorneys which have to be immediately called upon when a defendant can’t provide legal assistance of their own or refuses to represent themselves.
Lawyer ball is also the skill of argument, so I’d suggest joining the debate teams in your local high school or wherever else you’re studying. Grammar and literacy are also very important,
Not that it necessarily matters to your question, but I’d like to tell you that prosecutors have a double responsibility, They have a responsibility to the defendant and the state. A defense attorney has to defend a client for better or worse, but a prosecutor must retract themselves as soon as they are convinced to a defendant’s innocence. That means you can successfully defend your client by convincing the prosecutor, if they are of sound constitutional mind, and thereby grace past the judge and jury system altogether.
A prosecutor also has the responsibility to turn over ALL EVIDENCE to the defense, whereas the defense can hold back anything they so please and are even encouraged to keep many things confidential.
Finest wishes from Chap Gladly Chap Gladly