Legal Question in Criminal Law in New York

Re: question

Whether it is "worth it" depends on what you mean by the question. Financially, criminal law is not a field where you will make alot of income... with few exceptions, you will be paid less than the average court bailiff; you will not have health insurance or any other benefits; and you will be required to maintain an office and all of the expenses that go with that. Also, there is no "overtime" despite how many hours you work, and many state programs limit how much time you are allowed to spend in defending a client, so in most cases, you will be required to work alot of hours for free.

Emotionally, you may be in for a roller coaster, as you will often see good people, who have made mistakes, and are facing not only prison, but the permanent future of limited employment prospects due to having a conviction on their record. Most of your clients will be young, poor and uneducated, and with criminal records, their prospects are, at best, bleak.

Morally, you will find your work rewarding. You will be the first, last and only line of defense; the bulwark of liberty. Your job will be to protect the Constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic. There exist people who would throw away the rights guaranteed to us all, and claim to do so in the name of protecting you. Your job will be to ensure that your children have the freedoms that make life worth living, and are not forced to live in the so called "ordered societies" found in countries that forsake individual rights in favor of unchecked police powers... such as North Korea, Nazi Germany, or most third world dictatorships.

Whatever your choice, I wish you the best of luck.

Re: question

The other guys gave great answers. I just want to add that:

1) no, it is not dangerous.

2) it is more dynamic than other forms of law. Many feel it is more creative and intellectually challenging. It includes more trial work than other areas of practice.

3) It's the same 3 years of law school plus Bar exam as any other area of law.

The best of luck.

Re: question

Nothing is a waste of time if your mindset, your motivation and your morals are true.