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I’m a criminal lawyer. Ask me anything!

Hi everyone. I found a lot of useful information on this forum when I started my legal career, so I thought it was time to offer help in return if I can. I know crime is an area many students are interested in, so let me know if you have any questions about it. There are other fantastically qualified and experienced people on this forum, but I have a somewhat unique perspective on things because I have been both a solicitor and a barrister. Some initial caveats. I would prefer for obvious reasons not to say where I currently work or where I have worked, or to talk about how much I am paid! But I know pay in crime is an area many will have questions about, so I can answer in general terms. It has also been a while since I did either of the professional courses, so my knowledge on that front is probably quite out of date. But again, I can offer general help, and talk about the more day-to-day aspects of criminal work. I hope this is a useful thread for anyone considering a career in criminal law. It’s not for everyone, but personally I think it’s the best job in the world.

Reply 1

Ambabar

10

I can imagine an area like criminal law is very emotionally loaded, how do you cope with this? Has it made you want to stop at some point?

Reply 2

gtty123

22

What made you choose this?

Reply 3

LiSkinDicaprio

15

Original post by legalhelp

Hi everyone. I found a lot of useful information on this forum when I started my legal career, so I thought it was time to offer help in return if I can. I know crime is an area many students are interested in, so let me know if you have any questions about it. There are other fantastically qualified and experienced people on this forum, but I have a somewhat unique perspective on things because I have been both a solicitor and a barrister. Some initial caveats. I would prefer for obvious reasons not to say where I currently work or where I have worked, or to talk about how much I am paid! But I know pay in crime is an area many will have questions about, so I can answer in general terms. It has also been a while since I did either of the professional courses, so my knowledge on that front is probably quite out of date. But again, I can offer general help, and talk about the more day-to-day aspects of criminal work. I hope this is a useful thread for anyone considering a career in criminal law. It’s not for everyone, but personally I think it’s the best job in the world.

Hi,

So for 2 of Unis I have applied for Law and the other 3 it’s Law with criminology.
If I was to study Law with criminology at uni, would that only limit me to criminal law or could i possibly do other types of law like corporate and medical etc?
Any advice would be handy.

Thanks

Reply 4

tinygirl96

21

Tell me about the skills needed. How tough is it? What advice do you have for newbies?

Reply 5

legalhelp

OP

16

Original post by Ambabar

I can imagine an area like criminal law is very emotionally loaded, how do you cope with this? Has it made you want to stop at some point?

It definitely has its difficult moments. There are some cases that are just plain horrible, in terms of subject matter. There are others where you have a really difficult client, or a client with serious mental health problems, or someone who has had a terrible life. Sometimes you are prosecuting someone in difficult circumstances, where you feel very sorry for them. You do get better at dealing with that side of the job, but if you are considering it you should go in with your eyes open. You need to be quite resilient. Having said that, although there are difficult days, I have never once seriously considered leaving this area of the law.

Reply 6

legalhelp

OP

16

Original post by LiSkinDicaprio

Hi,

So for 2 of Unis I have applied for Law and the other 3 it’s Law with criminology.
If I was to study Law with criminology at uni, would that only limit me to criminal law or could i possibly do other types of law like corporate and medical etc?
Any advice would be handy.

Thanks

Hello. I have to be honest and say it has been a while since I was at university! I think you would have some work to do to persuade a firm with a largely corporate practice to take you on if you studied law and criminology. Definitely not impossible at all, but the obvious question would be “why didn’t you go into criminal law?”. That’s not a question you would need to answer if you did a straight law degree. But there are many good answers to that question, so I wouldn’t be too worried. Just focus on getting into the best university you can, and once you are there, getting the best possible grade you can. If you end up doing law and criminology (which sounds like a fun degree to me), make sure you have a good answer to the obvious question I asked earlier.

Reply 7

legalhelp

OP

16

Original post by tinygirl96

Tell me about the skills needed. How tough is it? What advice do you have for newbies?

Could you clarify what sort of “newbie” you mean? Someone at school, uni, or just starting out in criminal practice? That will help me focus my answer.

just new to law

OP

Original post by tinygirl96

just new to law

Sorry to be a pain - do you mean new to law at uni? Or you’re still at school and thinking about a career in law? Or something else? I’m only asking because it does make a difference to my answer. Feel free to PM me if easier.

Reply 10

londonmyst

19

Did you choose to specialise in criminal defence/prosecution work for ideological reasons, practical ones, get pushed into it by family members or fellow activists that only wanted a lawyer they knew they could trust 300% to represent them/advise on their criminal cases?

Reply 11

legalhelp

OP

16

Original post by londonmyst

Did you choose to specialise in criminal defence/prosecution work for ideological reasons, practical ones, get pushed into it by family members or fellow activists that only wanted a lawyer they knew they could trust 300% to represent them/advise on their criminal cases?

That’s quite a limited range of options. None of those really. I have nothing against those who go into this area for ideological reasons but that wasn’t my main motivation. I like being in court a lot, having lots of face-to-face interaction with people (clients, court staff, judges, police) and I like the unpredictability and excitement of a jury trial. I am also someone who finds getting to grips with the underlying facts of a case really interesting. Obviously that’s not unique to crime, but it’s easier for me to spend hours reading the details of a criminal case than the details of a complex commercial arrangement that is the subject of a civil dispute. Horses for courses!

Reply 12

Raktand

9

Do you have a moral compass when it comes to choosing people you want to defend or is it only about money ?

Reply 13

legalhelp

OP

16

Original post by Raktand

Do you have a moral compass when it comes to choosing people you want to defend or is it only about money ?

Firstly, barristers at least generally don’t “choose” who they defend (take a look at the cab rank rule). Nor, on a practical level, do junior solicitors. Secondly, criminal law is generally very poorly paid. Thirdly, your question suggests that the only possible manifestation of a criminal lawyer’s “moral compass” would be them choosing what sort of person they wanted to represent. I understand this position, but I don’t subscribe to it personally. Fourthly, I defend and prosecute. Hopefully that all goes some way to answering your question.

(edited 3 years ago)

Objection! :biggrin:

OP

Oh, definitely.

OP

Original post by Afrrcyn

Objection! :biggrin:

Overruled

Reply 17

username4648764

18

Original post by legalhelp

Overruled

Oh no!

I've been Lawyer'ed

Reply 18

legalhelp

OP

16

Original post by gtty123

What made you choose this?

Sorry, I just realised I missed this post. You’ll see I have pretty much answered this in response to a later question. If there’s anything else you’d like me to address let me know.

Reply 19

alb1999

5

I know a similar question has already answered but I already have my undergrad degree in Law. If I know that I would like to work in Criminal Law, would you recommend a Masters in Law or Criminology? Also how beneficial do you believe a Masters is to careers in law?

I’m a criminal lawyer. Ask me anything!

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