How to Be a Criminal Law Attorney

Criminal Law is a difficult area of law to practice. There will come times when you find yourself questioning your own morals and levels of right and wrong as you defend people you know are guilty and have committed heinous crimes. But, criminal law is vital to the balance of justice in our country. Use these steps to learn about criminal law and how to become a criminal law attorney.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Decide on where you are going to go to law school. If you are not already in college, choose your university based on a good law school. This will create a nice supportive education in one place. If you are in high school, it is never too early to start applying to colleges and universities.
2. Choose your major wisely. For a criminal law attorney, you should be majoring in Criminal Justice as an undergraduate. Also, use your electives as opportunities to take forensics or other areas of law enforcement.
3. Work hard through your undergrad studies and participate in student clubs and activities, especially those surrounding politics and law enforcement. Build your resume and experiences as this will help you get into law school.
4. Prepare for your LSAT. LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is the test you will need to pass within a certain score range in order to get into law school. Each law school has its own score range for admission requirements, with the Ivy League schools expecting higher scores than other schools.
5. Assemble other application information for law school. Aside from acceptable LSAT scores, you will also need to fill out an application, submit references and a resume. It is the same process as applying to college, but less people get in and the standards are higher.
6. Complete law school. The better you do, the better your reputation in the beginning and the better chance you get a job out of college. You can also choose to start your own firm, but the risk and costs are high.

Tips & Warnings

• Find an internship with a criminal law firm while you are an undergrad. This will increase your chances of getting into law school and look great on your resume for later.
• Visit the Law School Admissions Council site for sample LSATs and great tips on getting into law school.