Criminal lawyer (Advocaat (strafrecht))
Information on this skill...
A criminal lawyer is a confidential adviser protected by law, who represents the interests of clients who are suspected of a crime. In short, criminal law can best be described as everything that has to do with crime and offenses, such as assault, theft and serious traffic offenses. A criminal lawyer acts as an adviser on behalf of his or her clients and will guide clients during the criminal proceedings and possibly accompany them after the procedure. Within criminal law, people are allowed to defend themselves, but in most cases this is not advisable because criminal proceedings can be complex. Criminal law applies to all citizens who commit a criminal offense. Within criminal law, there is an important difference between offenses and crimes because offenses are usually punished more lightly than crimes. The most important task of a criminal lawyer is to defend suspects as well as possible before the judge. In addition, a criminal lawyer can be important for suspects who have to deal with a police interview. It is the criminal lawyer who knows exactly which questions suspects should or should not answer. The criminal lawyer also ensures that the correct procedures are used during the police interrogation. The activities of a criminal lawyer can in all cases be regarded as specialized activities, which can be very important for suspects of criminal offenses. If someone is suspected of committing an offense or crime, the suspect can be summoned by a public prosecutor to appear in court. It is up to the suspect whether he or she wishes to use a criminal lawyer. If the suspect wants to use a criminal lawyer, it is important to be open and transparent with the lawyer.
A criminal lawyer is therefore specialized in criminal law. Within criminal law, a criminal lawyer can also be specialized in certain forms of criminal law. Think, for example, of juvenile criminal law, financial and economic criminal law, international criminal law and traffic criminal law. In most cases, a criminal lawyer will start by holding an intake interview to discuss the possibilities with the client. Once a criminal lawyer has accepted a case, he or she will delve further into the matter and see how the client can be defended as well as possible. How the defense of suspects can best be carried out is specific and can differ per case. For example, a criminal lawyer can look at older cases that are similar, read the Criminal Code, read the Opium Act or, for example, read the Road Traffic Act, depending on the type of violation or crime.
As described earlier, hiring a criminal lawyer is advisable in most cases because criminal law is complex. A criminal lawyer knows exactly how everything works during court hearings, and knows what to expect from the client. This experience allows a criminal lawyer to prepare the suspect. It also happens regularly that clients cannot control their emotions, which can mean saying things that may not be useful. A criminal lawyer is a partisan confidant and will tell clients exactly what they should or should not do in court. Any negotiations with the other party are also better left to the criminal lawyer. If a ruling has been made by the judge, the criminal lawyer can, in consultation with the client, look at the possible next steps, such as appealing or deciding together to accept the case as it is.
WHEN TO ENGAGE A CRIMINAL LAWYER
In general, in almost all cases, it is advisable to engage a criminal lawyer if someone is suspected of a violation or crime. There is, however, an important difference between violation and a criminal crime. Anyone suspected of criminal offences may also initially have to deal with police interviews, which are held by a detective. The presence of a criminal lawyer can also be important during police interviews because a criminal lawyer can make the difference in the final verdict. Especially in the case of serious criminal offences involving imprisonment, it is important to use a criminal lawyer. It is not the case that a criminal lawyer only has to deal with criminal offences that are described in the Criminal Code. Consider, for example, criminal offences that are described in the Commodities Act and the Compulsory Education Act.
BECOME A CRIMINAL LAWYER
Anyone who wants to specialise in the field of criminal law will have to follow the master's programme in criminal law within the master's programme in public law. Criminal law is a part of public law, which as a whole is much broader than just criminal law. Within criminal law, the general rules are laid down that citizens must adhere to. If the rules of criminal law are violated, someone commits an offense or crime. A violation is in many cases a minor offense, which in many cases is settled with a sanction or fine. In the case of crimes, we are talking about the more serious offenses, which can be different in nature, such as arson, insult, corruption, fraud, violence, hostage-taking, tax fraud, copyright infringement, sexual assault, cybercrime and drug trafficking. In most cases, the master's degree in criminal law starts with the mandatory component of the democratic rule of law. Another popular field of study is the study of criminology, which will also cover criminal law. In recent years, more and more lawyers have been added, who have specialized as criminal lawyers so that there are now so-called criminal law specialists. A lawyer for subsidized mediation and legal aid is also called a pro bono lawyer.
WHAT DOES A CRIMINAL LAWYER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A LAWYER
Anyone who aspires to a career as a lawyer will initially have to follow and complete the university law course. The university degree in law can be followed through most universities in the Netherlands. However, the programmes and programmes may differ per university. For example, the study of law can be followed at the University of Leiden, at the University of Groningen or in Utrecht. The Bachelor's programme in Law has six specialisations, namely: Dutch law, international and European law, IT law, tax law, notarial law and legal public administration. The first year of the Bachelor's programme is fairly general and should be seen as an important orientation year, in which you will receive courses such as private law, constitutional law and criminal law. After the three-year Bachelor's programme, you will start the Master's programme, which will take another one to two years. After completing your law studies, you are not yet a lawyer, but a lawyer. To be allowed to work as a lawyer, you will first have to follow an internship period of three years, under the supervision of a recognized lawyer. After completing the internship period and the compulsory vocational training for the legal profession, you can register with the Dutch Bar Association so that you can be registered as a recognized lawyer. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A LAWYER CAN WORK
A criminal lawyer generally works for a law firm or works as an entrepreneur within his own law firm. Relatively speaking, criminal lawyers are relatively often employed as independent entrepreneurs because criminal law is a special specialisation within the legal profession. As a criminal lawyer, you generally work a lot with other lawyers, legal assistants and detectives.
COMPETENCES LAWYER
The most important competence of a lawyer is partiality because a lawyer must be regarded as a confidential advisor of clients. In addition, it is important that as a lawyer, you have sufficient professional knowledge within your specialization(s) and that you stay informed by following further training because you have to deal with laws and regulations. Of course, a lawyer must also have good communication skills. A lawyer must also have analytical skills so that you can distinguish the side issues from the main cases. Generally important words are mediating, arguing, negotiating, motivation, professional secrecy, consultation, cooperation, listening, planning, organizing and stress resistance. Obviously, a lawyer has to deal with various mandatory professional competences.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A LAWYER
The labour market perspective of a criminal lawyer is good. However, it is important that the work suits you because a criminal lawyer also has to deal with serious criminals. This is an important personal consideration, which should not be underestimated. The career opportunities of a criminal lawyer can be seen in becoming a partner or in starting your own law firm. Of course, a lawyer can also follow a training to become a judge, public prosecutor or, for example, obtain a PhD as a scientist.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY OF LAWYER
There are no specific employment conditions for a lawyer because you can work for different companies and governments with their own employment conditions. However, on the website of the Dutch Bar Association, you can find more information about the employment conditions as an aspiring lawyer. A prospective lawyer earns an average of 2,200 euros gross per month in the first year, 2,560 euros gross per month in the second year and 2,900 euros gross per month in the third year. What exactly a full-fledged lawyer will earn is difficult to indicate because there are major differences within the legal profession. But in general, a lawyer will earn between 2,500 and 9,000 euros gross per month, depending on his age and responsibilities within the organization. Of course, there are also specialist lawyers who earn a multiple of the aforementioned salary.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
Lees deze informatie over Advocaat (strafrecht) in het Nederlands.
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