The lawyerly role has it’s roots in the Greco Roman world, when learned men would sometimes take on the negotiatory role during legal proceedings. Since those early days, the scope of lawyerly activities and the law itself has expanded exponentially.
Legal practice is immensely complex. Most lawyers are not general practitioners but specialists. When bringing a case to a prospective legal team, you need to be sure of how suitable they are to pursue your aims. Here is a brief guide to some of the types of Lawyers practicing today. There are far more branches of the legal profession than can be mentioned here.
Personal Injury
Thanks to America’s insurance-based private healthcare system, getting injured can be incredibly costly. This is one of the reasons why people often sue for personal injury compensation. Personal injury lawyers specialize in settling compensation cases before they get a chance to go to court.
Personal injury lawyers are well versed in the laws covering retributive financial compensation in the United States. They work with insurance companies to ensure the highest payout after a car accident or deal with employers after a work based injury. For an example of an established personal injury law firm, Check out Lasorsa and Beneventano attorneys at law here.
Employment
Employment law is one of the fundamental bedrocks of any just society. As an employee or employer, there are very strict rules about hiring, firing, pay, and discrimination. Employment lawyers specialize in negotiating these laws for their clients. In the case of unfair or constructive dismissal, an employment lawyer will aim to represent the fired person at a tribunal. If the tribunal goes the wrong way, they can represent clients trying to get compensation for their wrongful dismissal.
Criminal Defense
Most of the ‘superstar’ lawyers throughout American history have been criminal defense lawyers. Criminal defense is not always about proving that a client is innocent. It is considered good practice to try and get a good deal for a client within the bounds of the law. If the client is guilty, it is the defense lawyer’s job to press for a lenient sentence or hospital treatment. Some criminal defense lawyers, however, have tested the boundaries to the extreme in order to prove their client’s innocence. The stereotype of the slimy criminal defense lawyer has worked it’s way into the American collective conscience. Of course, there have been bad eggs, but it is largely the system, not the people working inside it, that has been the source of immorality.
Family And Divorce
Family and divorce lawyers specialize in helping people negotiate the tricky business of separation, adoption, or marriage. All sorts of family matters are settled in court. Having to mediate family matters in a court of law is, of course, often heartbreaking. Unfortunately, it is often the only way of ensuring fairness in cases of abuse, financial manipulation, or complex immigration ramifications. Family law is complex and has wide-reaching consequences. Specialists in family law need to have great interpersonal skills that sit alongside their ability to negotiate the law.
