Criminal defense law is not a field everyone wants to explore, and it’s understandable. It comes with a lot of challenges, not to mention you have to deal with people who have possibly committed terrible crimes, in which case it’s hard to ignore your emotions related to the situation.
Still, many choose it as a career path, and they don’t regret it. Working as a criminal defense lawyer is exciting, and it can teach you a lot about the law, fairness, and many other things. If you’re considering this as a potential career, but you’re still not convinced, here are some reasons why you should become a criminal defense lawyer.
1. You Can Make People’s Lives Better
One of the best things about being a criminal defense attorney is the power to make someone’s life better. By working in criminal defense law, you can improve a client’s life. In some cases, an innocent individual may be facing a wrongful condition, but thankfully you have the opportunity to prove their innocence.
What you can do is offer alternatives for someone who is a non-violent offender when it comes to sentencing. For example, you can save them from years of jail time and negotiate for community service instead. Furthermore, you’ll help your client with good advice on what to do and what not to do in order to get a favorable outcome.
Too many people think that this job involves defending criminals, but even if someone was accused of something, it doesn’t mean they are guilty. You can help reveal the true situation.
2. The Salary is High
Who doesn’t like the idea of a good salary? After all, pay is one of the main reasons why we go to work.
Criminal defense law is not only a good and exciting career option, but also a high-paying one. On average, an attorney earns a base salary of $94,435, and if you work for a longer time, your salary may increase even more. All it takes is winning as many client cases as possible and demonstrating your abilities while gaining experience.
3. You’ll Enjoy Lots of Research Opportunities
If you’re someone who loves doing research and finding out new things, then the criminal defense attorney job is ideal for you. When you argue criminal defense, you often have to do in-depth research on information about testimonies, alibis, and evidence. Not to mention, you will also do in-depth research on similar cases, meaning you may not only find something to help you in your current case but possibly future ones as well.
Criminal law topics can be quite complex, which is why they’re not suitable for everyone. But if you appreciate this aspect, you shouldn’t hesitate to enter the criminal defense law world.
4. You Can Specialize
Criminal defense law is a category that involves different criminal charges. Although many criminal defense attorneys deal with different kinds of tasks, others specialize in one area only. For instance, you may specialize in clients with assault charges or those with drug charges.
There are lots of opportunities, which is why this career path is so exciting.
5. You’ll Respect People’s Rights
In the United States, everyone has the right to legal representation, as well as a fair trial. So, even if they were accused of a crime, this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be represented in court. Not everyone wants to work with someone who has been charged for anything, but there must be someone who can represent these people.
Denver had a violent crime rate of 7.6 per 1,000 residents in 2022, therefore those who were accused of such crimes can have their rights protected by Denver criminal defense lawyers.
6. You Can Network in the Legal System
You’ll work with different types of people in the legal system. You can network with prosecutors, judges, and even other attorneys. These connections can be very useful during your cases because it will let you give your clients resources to use during the cases and after the cases are over. In the end, this can also aid you in growing your career later.
Final Thoughts
Working as a criminal defense lawyer can bring you a lot of exciting opportunities. You’ll be able to specialize in one type of criminal defense, network in the legal system, and earn a high salary. Even better, you’ll help people in need, especially those who may have been wrongfully accused of a crime. This way, you make clients’ lives better.
