What would be required if I wanted to be a criminal defense lawyer?

First of all you will need to get an undergraduate degree as this is the first step in your education. Most of the time it does not matter what your undergraduate degree is in.- it could be in English, mathematics or any other field that is offered in the college/university that you attend. It is helpful to choose English or math as writing will be a big part of what you do in a legal career (you submit a lot of writings to the court) and with math you learn a lot of analytical skills that will be useful when you are trying to find all of the facts that pertain to your case.

Once you have your undergraduate degree you will need to take the LSAT and apply to a law school. Law school is difficult - that is just a fact. You will spend lots of time studying and learning about all of the subjects covered by the law. In law school you will not specialize in just one type of law, you will learn about all aspects of the law. Once you have taken the State Bar Exam in your state of choice and passed it then you will begin to specialize.

So begin now to learn good study habits and carry them forward with you into college and law school as they will serve you well. While law is a hard subject matter to pursue as a career it is also a very rewarding career. I think that if you are willing to work hard you will be happy with a legal career as it is very rewarding! Good luck.

Most Criminal Defense attorneys start out working in the prosecutors office for a few years. That is really a good idea, as, the best way to mount a good defense for your criminal client is to know how the opposition (prosecutor) thinks.

I would recommend taking classes in speech, debate, acting (at least one class!), latin roots, logic, etc in high school and undergrad school. You will figure out which law electives to take. Definitely learn procedural law, as so many times, a case comes down to who files what type of motion, filing on time, etc.

Also, when you do become a criminal defense attorney, PLEASE remember, there are other matters to think about than just the immediate charge. People who are here on Visas are easily deported when they get criminal convictions. And people who want to bring Civil Rights cases against the cops sometimes ruin that potential case by taking a plea bargain. Please network with lawyers in Immigration and Civil Rights law, so you can reach out to them on complex cases!

The saddest thing in criminal defense is when innocent people plead guilty in exchange for guaranteed probation. Be prepared for that. It is a part of our criminal justice system that needs fixing.

best of luck!
Kim

I think the previous two answers covered just about everything. They both offer some extremely valuable advice. The only other advice I would give is to check into clinic work at the law school. Criminal law and Actual innocence clinics give invaluable experience and offer class time so you get law school credit while working under a licensed attorney. Not to mention it allows you to remain idealistic for another semester before entering the real world. Hope this helps.