You are =
here:=20
Home =BB=20
Supplements=20
=BB DH=20
Education =BB Careers in criminal =
justice
Pathfinder
Careers in =
criminal=20
justice
Pallavi=20
Deshpande offers an inside look at the =
life of a=20
criminal defence lawyer and tips for =
breaking=20
into the field
A criminal =
defence lawyer=20
represents an individual or a group of =
alleged=20
offenders as their defense counsel in =
various=20
courts including the Sessions Courts, =
the High=20
Court and the Supreme Court. Lawyers who =
are=20
part of the prosecution team defend the =
state=20
and their duty is to see that the guilty =
are=20
brought to book.
Anurag Kumar, a =
New=20
Delhi-based Supreme Court advocate, =
says:=20
=93Criminal Law practice is interesting =
because=20
each case is unique; the application of =
criminal=20
law is based on facts of the=20
case.=94
Course=20
details
Students who =
wish to=20
specialise in criminal law must have a=20
Bachelor=92s degree in law. They =
may then=20
follow this up with a Master=92s degree =
in=20
Criminology. An LLB course is typically =
a=20
three-year degree or a five-year =
integrated=20
Honors course in India.
Some of =
the=20
colleges that offer a Bachelor=92s =
degree in law=20
are:
* National =
Law=20
School of India University, =
Bangalore=20
* Symbiosis Law =
College,=20
Pune * Faculty of =
Law,=20
Delhi University * =
ILS Law=20
College, Pune * =
NALSAR,=20
Hyderabad * Mumbai=20
University Law College Colleges in India =
that=20
offer a Master=92s in Criminal Law =
include:=20
* Tamil Nadu Dr =
Ambedkar=20
Law University, =
Chennai *=20
National Law Institute, University =
Bhopal,=20
Madhya Pradesh * =
Faculty of=20
Law, Delhi =
University *=20
NALSAR, University of Law,=20
Hyderabad * Faculty =
of Law,=20
Pune University
A Master=92s =
course in=20
Criminal Law covers specific topics such =
as=20
Criminal Law, Specific Crimes, Criminal =
Law=20
=97 Practice & Procedure, Code =
or=20
Criminal Procedure, Criminology, =
Criminal=20
Jurisprudence Concepts, Criminal =
Jurisprudence =97=20
Theory of Law, Human Rights Law (Part of =
Criminal Law) and Law of Evidence in =
India.=20
To become a prosecution lawyer, =
one=20
needs to have at least seven to 10 years =
of=20
experience as a defence counsel. One is =
then=20
graded based on performance and chosen =
by the=20
state government to work as: =20
To be chosen as =
Advocate=20
General of the State, one needs at least =
10=20
years of experience. Criminal Law =
graduates can=20
either join a legal firm after giving =
the Bar=20
exam or start their own practice. They =
work at=20
the Trial Court, Sessions Court or the =
High=20
Court. A good way to get ahead would be =
to work=20
for a reputed firm or lawyer.=20
Remuneration: A law graduate who =
joins a=20
legal firm can expect a salary of Rs =
5,000 to=20
7,000 a month. One who opts to work =
under a=20
senior lawyer may not earn as much in =
the=20
beginning as payments are made on a =
case-by-case=20
basis.
Work is challenging and=20
interesting in equal measure, says =
Tripti=20
Shetty, a Mumbai-based criminal lawyer.=20
=93Criminal Law can be a tough career. =
One should=20
master the art of cross-examination, =
understand=20
the psyche and the emotional state of =
the=20
witness, and know not only what to ask =
but also=20
what not to ask,=94 she explains. =
One must=20
also be skilled in negotiation and =
handling=20
litigation. Counselling skills are a =
must. A=20
sharp memory, legal acumen and an =
analytical=20
mind are definite plus points. Most =
students=20
choose to do internships while pursuing =
their=20
degrees. They enroll for part-time work=20
with enforcement agencies, NGOs, =
forensic=20
labs, investigative agencies or even a =
law firm.=20
There are several =
specialisations that=20
postgraduates students of law can now =
pursue in=20
India: * =
Criminology=20
and Forensic Science * =
Human=20
Rights * =
Cyber=20
Crime * Domestic=20
Violence * Sexual=20
Abuse * Murder, =
robbery,=20
theft and kidnapping =
*=20
Crime against =
Women *=20
Criminal Trial & Criminal=20
Appeal * Bail =
(Anticipatory=20
& Regular), Criminal Revision, and =
Criminal=20
Quashing * Anti =
Hijacking=20
Matters & Anti Terrorist Matters =
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