If you’ve always been fascinated by crime procedurals like CSI and True Detective, you should consider a career in criminal law.
Criminal law is a great career option for students who are interested in making a difference in the world. A career in criminal law will give you a chance to play a major part in solving and preventing crimes and making your community a better place to live.
What will you learn by studying criminal law?
Criminal law is the body of law that deals with crime. Crime in criminal law is defined as the conduct of an individual which can threaten, harm, or endanger others or even other's property.
Criminal law is focused on identifying crime and imposing the correct punishment and rehabilitation of people who commit crimes.
You will need to learn about the criminal code and laws of your particular area. These deal with and dictate the types of offenses that are punishable by the law, as well as the proscribed punishments given to those convicted of these offenses.
Basically, when you study criminal law, you learn how to determine which laws were broken and what the consequences should be for people who were found guilty of specific crimes.
Why is criminal law important?
Criminal law and those who study criminal law can help maintain order in society. Criminal law sets people’s expectations and helps define what acceptable behavior is and what criminal or unacceptable behavior is.
The best criminal defense attorney provides people with grievances a way to get some recompense. It makes it possible for conflicts and disputes to be settled peacefully. It also protects law-abiding citizens from people who would do them harm. Criminal law punishes unacceptable behavior and can also deter criminal behavior because it lays out the consequences of that behavior.
What careers are available for those who study criminal law?
Of course, the top career path of people who study criminal law would be in the police force or another type of law enforcement agency. This isn’t the only career option open for students of criminal law, however, here are a few more.
1. Criminal Lawyer
Criminal law is a great career option for students who want to work as lawyers. Criminal lawyers specialize in representing and defending clients who are facing criminal charges.
Of course, to determine your client’s culpability for a crime, you need to know the nuances of criminal codes as well as procedural law – so you need to have studied criminal law.
2. Paralegal or legal assistant
Paralegals or legal assistants work with lawyers and help them prepare for trial and to defend or represent clients.
A paralegal who has studied criminal law will be an invaluable assistant to lawyers who are defending people in a criminal court.
3. Private Investigator
If you don’t want to join a law enforcement agency but still want to play a part in solving crimes, you could become a private investigator.
Private investigators work with private clients who suspect that they are the victims or a target of a crime. They use their knowledge of criminal law to collect information and identify patterns to determine if someone is really acting in a way that could harm their clients.
4. Parole or probation officers
Parole or probation officers work with convicted criminals to help them reintegrate into society and ensure that they don't re-offend.
Probation officers work with people who are convicted of a crime and put on probation. If an offender is put on probation, they need to follow certain rules and obey conditions that will allow them to stay out of prison while still paying their debt to society. Violating one’s probation could end up earning them prison time.
A probation officer supervises people under probation, ensuring that they are meeting the conditions imposed on them by the court.
A parole officer, on the other hand, works with individuals who were convicted of a crime, given jail time, then released. Upon getting released from prison, these individuals are also required to follow certain conditions and, if they violate these conditions they could be sent back to prison.
Both probation and parole officers are responsible for making sure that someone who is convicted of a crime doesn't just follow the terms of their probation or parole, but also find a way to become contributing, law-abiding citizens.
5. Criminal Psychologist
If you want to become a criminal psychologist, you should study criminal law first. This field of psychologist focuses on studying why criminals act the way that they do. To better understand criminals and crime, you also need to understand what makes certain actions a crime.
A criminal psychologist often works with law enforcement agencies to make a psychological assessment of suspects and criminals. This is known as criminal profiling.
They also work with convicted offenders, either evaluating them to determine if they are fit to return to society. They may also counsel offenders to help them realize why they committed the offenses they did and what they can do to change their lifestyle, habits, and mindset to keep from reoffending.
6. Crime Scene Investigator
A crime scene investigator works side by side with the police and other law enforcement agencies to help solve crimes. They look for and interpret evidence found at a crime scene to help identify suspects which can be used to prosecute them in a court of law.
7. Social worker
One of the major objectives of criminal law is that criminals shouldn't just be punished but rehabilitated. For the "punishment" of a crime to be effective, it should change the behavior of the offender and provide them with an opportunity to reintegrate into society.
A social worker with familiarity with criminal law is uniquely positioned to be able to work with reformed criminals and ensure that they are successfully rehabilitated and can reintegrate into society. Successful reintegration can decrease the chances that someone will become a repeat offender and commit crimes again.
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