Also called: Defense Lawyer
Defends people charged with crimes and makes sure the government proves its case fairly.
A defense lawyer might visit a client at the county jail in the morning, negotiate a plea deal with a prosecutor at lunch, and argue to suppress evidence in the afternoon. Every case is someone's freedom on the line. Private defense lawyers set their own fees; many also take court-appointed cases.
Private practice income varies a lot with reputation and caseload.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 7 years after high school. Bachelor's in any subject, then a 3-year Juris Doctor (JD) and passing the state bar exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Political Science, Psychology, Philosophy, English.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS projection for all lawyers (2024-34).
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps review police video and case files; jail visits, plea bargaining and defending a person in court remain human work.
Classes: AP U.S. Government, Speech and debate, Psychology, Spanish.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.