A segment of the criminal defense bar represents clients charged with homicides. These attorneys represent clients charged with different degrees of homicide from manslaughter to first degree murder. There is a subset of attorneys in this area of practice that represent clients facing the death penalty. When it comes to types of lawyers practicing in the United States, a cohort represents clients charged with different types of sex crimes. This category of legal counsel includes attorneys charged with sex crimes against children.
Lawyers representing individuals charged with white collar crimes is yet another category within the criminal defense bar. Examples of white collar crimes include embezzlement, securities fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and an array of other offenses.
The juvenile offender system is significantly different than the adult criminal justice system. Thus, there is a category of legal practice consisting of attorneys that represent lawyers that represent alleged juvenile offenders. Domestic violence is a significant issue in the United States. As a consequence, there is a cohort of lawyers that represent people charged with domestic violence.
These attorneys typically represent clients in restraining order cases as well. State public defenders represent individuals unable to afford private counsel who are charged with crimes on the state level.
Most criminal charges arise from violation of state laws. On the other side of the criminal law coin is the prosecution side.
State prosecutors prosecute people charged with violations of state criminal laws. They work in offices of district or state attorneys as well as in offices of state attorneys general.
Federal prosecutors prosecute individuals charged with federal crimes. They work in the offices of United States Attorneys. Federal public defenders is a segment of the bar that provides representation to individuals charged with federal crimes. A broad category of attorneys is that associated with business law. This cohort consists of attorneys that provide different types of representation on behalf of businesses and the owners of business ventures.
A cadre of attorneys in the broader category of business law focus on contract preparation. There are sub-categories within the contract cohort as well, including real estate agreements, business contracts of different types, employment contracts, and other type of agreements.
In addition to lawyers who specialize in preparing contracts, there are attorneys that practice in the realm of contract disputes. These lawyers represent clients that are at loggerheads in regard to the terms and conditions of an existing contract.
A corporate attorney typically attends to the day-to-day legal affairs of a business enterprise. A corporate attorney also oversees other lawyers retained to represent a corporation in regard to a specialized legal matter. There are lawyers that specialize in business formation. These lawyers assist in the initial establishment of corporations, limited liability companies, partnership, and other types of legal entities.
Lawyers that practice in the area of securities law represents clients involved in issuing stock as well as clients charged with violating securities laws. Attorneys practicing in this area also work for federal and state securities agencies. Many companies file for patents, trademarks and enforce copyright as part of their business. Tech companies seek out patents on their technology. Pharmaceutical companies obtain patents for their drugs.
The list goes. These protections are wildly valuable and so obtaining, protecting and enforcing these protections is a big area of corporate law. An area of legal practice involves tax planning. This includes lawyers who assist individuals and businesses in regard tax planning and strategies. There is a segment of the U.
These lawyers represent individuals and businesses facing allegations of tax law violations. Another area of the U. Issues can include a wide range of issues associated with the employer-employee relationship. Conversely, there is a segment of the bar consisting of attorneys that provide representation in different areas for employees that have issues with their employers. These issue include wrongful discharge. A cohort of U.
In addition, civil rights lawyers are also on the staffs of governmental agencies on the state and federal level. Sexual harassment has become an issue widely reported by the media in recent years. A group of attorneys specialize in representing clients in sexual harassment cases, which typical involve claims against employers. A segment of lawyers in the U. This group is further divided between lawyers that pursue state and federal appeals.
In addition, a smaller set of these attorneys practice before the U. Supreme Court. There is another group of lawyers that represent clients in appeals in criminal cases. These include attorneys on the state and federal level as well in cases before the U.
While not a well-known area of law, constitutional lawyers litigate matters that challenge laws which implicate the constitution. Often these matters are appealed and so most lawyers who practice this law are seasoned appellate lawyers. Many state agencies have administrative proceedings.
These can be complicated and have significant consequences. Lawyers in this field typically work with educational institutions, non-governmental organizations NGOs , and international public interest groups. Lawyers in this legal niche aren't in it to achieve great wealth but instead help their fellow man overcome social injustices.
Public interest lawyers typically work pro bono or at reduced rates. A lawyer in this field may also represent people who are facing criminal charges but who can't afford an attorney. Tax lawyers help clients who have issues concerning local, state, or federal tax laws. A tax lawyer might, for example, help a person or company be confident that its activities do not contradict tax laws and can also help clients minimize their tax liabilities.
When people are exposed to toxic or hazardous materials and end up with a pile of associated medical bills and illness, they hire a toxic tort lawyer to get compensation. Toxic tort lawyers assist clients like this through litigation and will negotiate settlements on their client's behalf. The defending party in the case may be a manufacturer of a defective product that hurt the client or a company that failed to store chemicals properly or protect their employees.
In many ways, the roles of a toxic-tort lawyer are quite similar to those of a personal injury lawyer. The lawyer can help with bail, entering pleas, and generally defending clients through cases from start to finish.
Workers' compensation lawyers help people who are injured on the job and need assistance filing claims and getting compensated for their medical bills, time off work, and injuries.
A workers' compensation attorney may also help the family of a worker whose death is the result of a workplace accident or occupational illness by proving the employer's liability and getting compensation for the family. As we've seen, there are various career paths that you can follow within the legal industry. The route you choose depends on what type of litigation fires up your soul, as well as your innate skills and passions.
If you're not sure which direction to go, we recommend visiting with and learning more about people in your fields of interest before or during your first year in law school. If you choose by the end of that first year, you'll know what second-year law school courses to take to help you best prepare for your specialty. Law Specialties To help you narrow down your specialization and figure out what type of lawyer you want to be, we've compiled this comprehensive list of the various legal specialties and their roles for their clients: Admiralty or Maritime Lawyer Maritime law deals with all manner of legal disputes in the water.
Bankruptcy Lawyer If a company or individual is insolvent, it is a bankruptcy lawyer's job to advise them about their eligibility for bankruptcy, prepare their legal paperwork, and represent them in bankruptcy court. Civil Litigation Lawyer Civil litigation attorneys help clients in all matters of civil lawsuits, but not government disputes. Civil Rights Lawyer Civil rights lawyers handle cases involving charging the state or other authorities with violations of an individual's constitutional rights.
Contract Lawyer Contract lawyers help clients draft and format legally binding contracts and enforce those contracts. Corporate or Business Lawyer Corporate lawyers can work independently in a law firm or as a company's in-house counsel in different roles. Criminal Lawyer As a criminal lawyer, you can be a public defense attorney , private defense attorney, or prosecutor.
Digital Media and Internet Lawyer As the name implies, digital media and internet lawyers handle litigation concerning the internet or technology related to the internet. Employment or Labor Lawyer Employment lawyers represent employers or employees in cases regarding a breach of an employment contract. Typically, they are hired to provide counsel or negotiate cases involving: Employee benefits Wage and overtime standards Privacy rights Termination of employment Sexual harassment Workers' compensation Workplace discrimination based on age, ancestry, color, race, religion, sex, and other protected categories Workplace safety Entertainment Lawyer Those in the entertainment industry, film, music, or otherwise in the public eye, hire entertainment lawyers in litigation about entertainment contracts.
Environmental Lawyer Environmental lawyers represent individuals, advocacy organizations, or government agencies in cases involving environmental regulation, public health, compliance, disputes about land or coastline use, and the legislative protection of natural resources. Estate Planning Lawyer An estate planning attorney specializes in drafting and executing clients' wills or trusts.
Family and Divorce Lawyer Lawyers in this field help clients with child-custody cases, processing divorces and splitting up assets, child support, domestic abuse, civil unions, adoptions, and more. General Practice Lawyer Unlike other lawyers that focus on a specialty, general-practice lawyers are the jack-of-all-trades.
Government Lawyer As the name implies, government lawyers work for the government, serving as counsel at the state, federal, county, or municipal level. Immigration Lawyer Immigration lawyers assist people with obtaining visas, applying for green cards, seeking asylum, becoming a US citizen, and appealing deportation.
Intellectual Property Lawyer When people need professional help regarding their physical or intangible ideas, designs, inventions, or other intellectual property, they go to intellectual property IP lawyers. Legal Malpractice Lawyer Legal malpractice attorneys assist other lawyers facing charges of legal malpractice. Medical Malpractice Lawyer Medical malpractice lawyers represent doctors or other health professionals who face charges of medical misconduct. Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer Mergers and acquisition lawyers represent companies and facilitate their buying, selling, and mergers with other companies.
Paralegal Though not quite lawyers themselves, paralegals assist lawyers in law firms. Personal Injury Lawyer Personal injury lawyers typically represent individuals in litigation cases involving an injury that resulted from another party's negligence. Paralegal are legal administrative assistants who have qualified by exam for credential or license depending on state jurisdiction of practice.
Inquiries about types of lawyer practice in the United States, may post your legal need at the UpCounsel marketplace. UpCounsel attorneys have an average 14 years of legal experience, and have represented corporate clients like Google and Menlo Ventures. The following is a list of types of lawyers: Personal Injury Lawyer A personal Injury lawyer specializes in tort law litigation, and represents clients in complaint of injuries caused by another party s.
Toxic Tort Lawyer Toxic tort lawyers specialize in cases involving victim exposure to hazardous chemicals or other environmentally toxic conditions. Estate Planning Lawyer Estate Planning Lawyers specialize as executors of wills and trusts in representation of estate planning clients.
Bankruptcy Lawyer Bankruptcy Lawyers counsel clients on eligibility for bankruptcy. Intellectual Property Lawyer Intellectual Property Lawyer or IP attorney gives counsel to clients on issues related to tangible or intangible ideas, inventions, or other intellectual property. Employment or Labor Lawyer An employment or labor attorney counsels on legal issues arising from an employment contract , or during an employment agreement.
Corporate or Business Lawyer A corporate or business lawyer provides business owners with counsel on formation of a corporation, and corporate governance and compliance issues. Public Interest Lawyer Public interest lawyers work with international organizations, education institutions, and nonprofit organizations performing legal services for those clients, usually at reduced rates or pro bono.
Immigration Lawyer Immigration lawyers specialize in immigration issues related to green card filing, employment-based immigrant visas , acquisition of U. Medical Malpractice Lawyer Medical malpractice attorneys represent doctors or clients involved in a complaint of physician misconduct.
Legal Malpractice or Professional Responsibility Lawyer Legal Malpractice or Professional Responsibility lawyers are involved in attorney litigation cases involving legal malpractice where there is complaint of violation or failure to uphold their duties to a reasonable standard of professional care as circumscribed by law.
Tax Lawyer Tax attorneys specialize in federal, state and local tax law practice rules, and counsel individuals and businesses on specific tax issues, or represent clients in a taxation related case. Contract Lawyer Contract lawyers specialize in advising clients in the formation of contracts, on contractual issues, and in litigation cases where a tortious contract violation has occurred. Social Security Disability Lawyer Social Security Disability Lawyers specialize in advising Social Security Disability clients in establishing eligibility and petition filing, and in appellate petition filing where benefits have been terminated or otherwise denied.
Civil Litigation Lawyer Civil litigation are tort law attorneys specializing in an area of practice that advises plaintiff or defendant clients in a lawsuit. Civil Rights Lawyer Civil rights lawyers represent clients in complaint of civil rights violations by the state or other authority. Environmental Lawyer Environmental lawyers specialize in counsel on issues of environmental regulation, compliance, and legislative protection of natural resources.
Government Lawyer Government lawyers serve as counsel in a branch of the government, federal, state, county, or municipal level. Entertainment Lawyer Entertainment lawyers represent clients in cases where entertainment contracts are the matter of litigation. General Practice Lawyer General practice lawyers are skilled at counsel and representation of clients in a range of legal specializations, providing handling of documents, filings, depositions, due diligence, discovery, representation, as well as consultation of clients in areas of regulation and compliance.
Paralegal Paralegal are legal administrative assistants who have qualified by exam for credential or license depending on state jurisdiction of practice. Was this document helpful? Share it with your network! The Best Lawyers For Less. Talk to a Top Lawyer for Free. Trusted By.
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