Criminal law is a dynamic and enthralling branch of law attractive to many who are studying to become a barrister or solicitor.
Representing your client in court cases, and being available at all hours of the day and night, is not for everyone, but for those who make it, being a criminal lawyer is a rewarding and exciting role.
This is an incredibly important job as criminal lawyers are a vital cog in the machine of the UK legal system and, therefore, as you may expect becoming a criminal solicitor is a tough and challenging process.
Most people do so through the more traditional route of an undergraduate degree followed by law school but this is not the only way to qualify as a solicitor or barrister and in this article we will look at some of the different options available to you.
Here are some of the most important steps that can help you become a criminal lawyer in the UK:
Law Degrees
In most scenarios, the first step towards becoming a criminal lawyer is to take a degree in law.
For those interested in becoming a criminal lawyer this will usually involve a degree with a focus on criminal justice in particular.
However, if you are already completing an undergraduate degree of some kind and are interested in switching careers, don’t panic, you might not need to start all over again.
It is possible to take a conversion course into law following a degree in a different subject so that you do not need to redo your entire degree, or you could apply for a paralegal apprenticeship.
In Scotland, this conversion course is called a Graduate Entry or Accelerated LLB whilst a similar course in England and Wales is known as a Graduate Diploma in Law.
If you are looking to secure a training contract with a respected firm of solicitors, you may be required to hold an LLM in Criminal Law and many take this time to gain this qualification.
Become a Solicitor, Advocate, or Barrister
Know you have learned much of the theory around criminal law it is time to qualify as a solicitor or barrister. In Scotland, someone with the same rights as a barrister is known as an advocate.
To do so, you will need to successfully complete a Legal Practice Course and see out a training contract with a firm of solicitors.
For obvious reasons, if you are looking to pursue a career as Aamer Anwar Criminal Lawyer you should look to secure a training contract with a firm who handles a lot of criminal cases and has a number of highly respected criminal lawyers working for them.
If you wish to become a barrister you will also need to complete the Bar Professional Training Course, as well as a pupillage.
Get the relevant work experience
It is all very well to say that you need to get a training contract or a pupillage but with the popularity of criminal law rising extremely quickly, these positions are extremely competitive.
To make yourself stand out and help you appear attractive to the law firms that you want to work at most, you will need to get the relevant work experience.
Luckily there will be many opportunities to do this throughout your time at university, with most university law societies conducting pro bono work.
Networking is also essential when starting out in law so make sure to build up your contacts when on placement, training, or providing legal advice; you never know when you might need them.
There is no sugar coating it, law is a competitive field, and criminal law even more so, so you are going to have to work extremely hard to make it, but if you do so, the rewards will be just as great.
Apply for the right positions
After qualifying as a lawyer, it can be tempting to apply for every and any position advertised at local law firms, but your first role could play a major factor in your future career path.
If you are looking to become a successful criminal lawyer, it is essential to get a role as a fire of solicitors who specialise in criminal law.
This will set you up perfectly for progression within the firm and open up a world of opportunities in the future such as a move to public service for the Crown Prosecution Service or to set up your own firm.
Many law firms never even advertise the roles they have available and will instead pick solely from their pool of existing interns so make sure that even if you are only working part-time in a training capacity, you are doing so in a field that you are hoping to progress into in the future.