From a young age, you wanted to practice law. You knew that you would be good at it, and it was something you could do for life. But then you got older, and you realized that there are so many different types of law to choose from. So how do you make that decision?
Well, it depends on what you want to do and how you want to form your career. For any prospective lawyer, there are many different branches of law to choose from. Which you choose will depend on your personal interests and desires. And there are so many that even knowing how many options there are can be challenging.
But whatever your interests, the best place to start is knowing all of the options available to you. This guide will help you identify all of the different branches of law, what they mean, and whether or not you might want to practice them.
Criminal Law
A criminal law attorney is someone who specializes in the law surrounding crime. These are the lawyers you most often see on television, busting drug cases, and catching criminals. But criminal law involves a lot more than just that.
Criminal lawyers deal with any and all matters involving crime, although some lawyers may have specialties, such as dealing mainly with sex-based offenses. As a criminal attorney, you could work on cases involving theft, robbery, trespassing, break-ins, and even murder. It is a fairly wide field, but if you like this more “dangerous and exciting” field, it could be good for you.
Criminal Defense
The field of criminal defense is a subcategory of criminal law. Criminal defense attorneys work with criminal law, but specialize in working for the defense, or the accused party.
Criminal defense is one of the hardest of the different branches of law. You have to be willing to work for potential criminals and make sure that they get fair representation, regardless of what they might have done.
This type of work can also include public defenders, which are lawyers that get assigned to defend accused parties who can’t afford a personal attorney. If you are interested in taking this challenge and making sure that everyone gets good representation in court, this is a good type of law for you to practice.
Personal Injury
Another of the common different branches of law is a personal injury attorney. When someone gets injured in an accident, like in a car crash or at work, they turn to a personal injury lawyer for help. The most common types of personal injury involve auto accidents, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, and wrongful death, but there are many others as well.
This job will involve dealing with a lot of injured people, and at least some knowledge of the legal side of the medical system. It could mean getting people financial help for their injury, or making the party responsible pay, or anything else related to personal injury. This is a good field for those who are interested in both law and medicine.
Workers Compensation
This is another very common branch of law, and it is related to personal injury. A workers compensation lawyer deals with personal injuries that occur in the workplace. It is the job of this lawyer to determine how much the employer is at fault, and if they have to pay any compensation.
Worker’s compensation can be a sad topic to deal with. It can involve working with cases of serious injury or even death, and having to work with distressed or grieving family members. However, it also provides the opportunity to help people in a time of need, so if you want to do that, it can be a good choice for you.
Corporate and Business Law
Corporate law can be a confusing field, and worker’s compensation falls under this umbrella. It means dealing with the ins and outs of corporations and what laws they have to follow, so it requires an understanding of all sorts of corporate and business laws.
As a business law attorney, you will find yourself working mostly with corporations and their leaders. You could help make sure they are complying with all the proper laws, give them advice on how to properly form their company, and help them deal with internal governing. If you fit in well in the corporate world and would be comfortable dealing with it all the time, this type of law might interest you.
Employment Lawyers
This is another of the different branches of law that fall under corporate law. Employment lawyers work with corporate law and specialize in dealing with issues related to the employer-employee relationship.
If a company has any problems with an employee, this type of lawyer will help them navigate them in a legal way. You could also deal with discrimination in hiring practices, figuring out proper payment, and any other issues that may arise between a worker and their boss. This field is good for people who like corporate law, and want to help employees be treated properly.
Bankruptcy
A bankruptcy lawyer could work with either individuals or corporations facing the prospect of bankruptcy. It is a confusing and scary thing for many people, so you can help them navigate their issues and make the best decisions.
Bankruptcy lawyers don’t just deal with the proceedings of bankruptcy. They can also advise people on whether bankruptcy is the right choice, and on other options that may help them better. In this field, you have the opportunity to help people recover from financial troubles, so if that sounds like what you want to do, this is a good choice.
Family Law
Family law is another one of the common different branches of law. This one can carry multiple different specialties within it, but it generally includes those who practice law around family matters. This can mean prenuptial agreements, divorce proceedings, custody battles, child support, and any other legal issues that a family might have.
Lawyers in this field should expect a lot of “drama” and high emotions, and be prepared to deal with that. When people are in need of a family lawyer, it is usually at a difficult time in their life, and their emotions will be running high. Family lawyers should be compassionate, and be prepared to handle situations with tense emotions and familial arguments.
Divorce
This is a subspecialty of family law, and while many family lawyers will practice multiple types of family law, divorce lawyers specialize in dealing with divorce and divorce alone. This is a job that requires a lot of compassion and patience, and a lot more direct contact with clients than some of the different branches of law, so it is definitely not for everyone.
Divorce lawyers help people navigate the ins and outs of the divorce process. This can mean figuring out custody, separating property, creating rules the two have to follow, and much more. Divorce is a messy and complicated subject, so lawyers in this field exist to help people through that. If you love people, have a lot of patience, and really want to help others in their time of need, this could be a good choice for you.
Civil Litigation
Civil litigation involves handling civil disputes, and usually means settling cases where one person is suing another for a variety of reasons. Civil litigation attorneys help clients figure out how to file these lawsuits, or how to respond if they are being sued.
This field offers a lot of possibilities, as you can get lawsuits for any number of reasons. This means a lot of flexibility and change in the job, instead of seeing the same issue every day. One day, you could be settling a property dispute, and the next, helping a client who is being sued for egging a car. It can certainly be an interesting job, and is good for those who want more variation in their work.
Civil Rights
This is a field that doesn’t always exist on its own, but can be a specialty in a number of other fields. A civil rights attorney will help deal with legal matters involving civil rights, usually cases dealing with discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.
Because civil rights issues occur everywhere, a civil rights attorney could work in multiple fields. This includes corporate, employment, civil, family, and even workers compensation law. This field offers a wide variety of options.
Some attorneys may choose to specialize in civil rights, and work cases in all fields. Others may specialize in civil rights in one field only, like employment-based discrimination. And still, others might work in one field, like corporate law, and also deal with civil rights matters.
No matter what field you do it in, the base requirements are the same. Civil rights attorneys ensure that everyone gets equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.
Estate Planning
Estate planning is one of the different branches of law that almost everyone will need at some point in their life. An estate law attorney helps people plan trusts and wills so that their assets are in safe hands once they pass away. It’s a service that most people will make use of.
Being an estate lawyer means knowing all of the law related to estates, wills, trusts, and other matters of lifelong and post-death ownership. With this job, you can help families create plans that will help them in the future. One of the most common things in this field is setting up trusts so that a client’s child or children can be taken care of down the line.
Intellectual Property
If you own a business, large or small, or want to start one, you’re going to need an intellectual property lawyer to help you out. It’s a very common service, so a profitable field to go into.
Intellectual property lawyers help people navigate the world of intellectual property (IP), which can be confusing but is essential for any business. This includes copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and other such “intangible” possessions. These are ideas or methods of action that are unique to you and your business, and you want them protected from plagiarism.
IP attorneys can provide a lot of help to businesses, making sure that they do everything the right way. They can also help companies deal with lawsuits or other issues that arise when intellectual property is violated in some way. If you like business law and want a more specialized field, this could be a good option for you.
Immigration Lawyers
Of the different branches of law, this is another very common one. Immigration lawyers are in high demand, especially at a time when the laws surrounding immigration can be confusing and conflicting.
Immigration lawyers deal with all matters regarding immigration. This can mean helping families navigate the process legally, advising agencies on how to adhere to the law, or even working cases where immigration law has been broken. It often means helping families and people who are in a time of need, so it is a good option for those who love helping others.
General Practice
With all of the different branches of law, prospective lawyers have many options to choose from. However, for those who don’t want to choose or want more freedom, there are always general law attorneys.
These lawyers work in multiple fields of law. Each lawyer has areas that they specialize in and are most comfortable with, so this allows you to work with the types of cases you want. You could work with both business law and family law, for example. Choosing general practice gives you more freedom in the type of work you do, so it’s good for those who want more options.
From corporate law to civil rights to divorce and custody, there are a lot of options for prospective lawyers out there. Looking at all of the different branches of law can be confusing and overwhelming. But if you want to practice law, it is helpful to find an area you are interested in early on, so you can tailor your education and career towards that field.