Starting off to practise criminal law

Toga Stroll

Hi guys. Been reconsidering going into commercial law lately and wondering if anyone has any tips on getting into the criminal side of things. Only really know how it goes from a commercial point of view as that was what we mainly learned in college. So, what is anyone’s experience getting a training contract with a criminal firm? Would it be more likely that it’s a general firm with a bit of criminal it, or dedicated criminal only? And what are salaries/hours like, just to compete to firms I have worked with before

enricoh

Have a mate thats a solicitor, he packed in doing divorces as too hard to get paid.
Loves the criminals, moneys no bother, cash payments no problem!

Mr. Incognito

There are a lot of specialised criminalfirms around Smithfield

Normal office Hours are the same but have to do prison visits and have to be on call weekends and out of hours.

People that do crime tend to only do crime.

Toga Stroll

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

There are a lot of specialised criminalfirms around Smithfield

Normal office Hours are the same but have to do prison visits and have to be on call weekends and out of hours.

People that do crime tend to only do crime.

Thanks for this. Do you know if most of these firms would take on trainees? Struggle to find any mention of training contracts on criminal firm websites.

Mr. Incognito

They all would take someone on for unpaid work experience. Id start there for an unpaid internship to see if you like it.

They generally would all take trainees on but its hard to differentiate yourself.

flatty

Don't most solicitors start out criminal?

hullaballoo

Easy tiger.

4ensic15

flatty wrote: »

Don't most solicitors start out criminal?

If you are suggesting that most solicitors practise in criminal law in their early careers then the answer is no. Criminal law is a small part of the work of the solicitor profession. The larger firms do no criminal work at all. Any work done by bigger firms is invariably white collar type. ln country areas some solicitors have a mixed practise but the local district court will only sit 1 day a week and even then will deal with civil and criminal business. In the cities, there will be a few firms who are exclusively legal-aid solicitors. In terms of the numbers engaged in criminal work, it is only about 1 to 2% of the total number of solicitors. In order to ear any money in criminal work it is necessary to have volume. Numerous cases being mentioned every day in the courts.

McCrack

I've experience of it.

It's not pretty. Unsocial hours, arrests at all times of day and night and special sittings/bail applications in the District Court at any hour and during weekends. Fees are poor too...unless you have volume...but in saying all that if you enjoy it you will thrive.

nuac

Mod
Title amended for clarity

Commanchie

Be prepared for long hours and tiring case loads.

A new solicitor in any firm will be mainly on out of hours station calls. If you are new to law and are young you will be fine.

Where did you study?

Commanchie

4ensic15 wrote: »

If you are suggesting that most solicitors practise in criminal law in their early careers then the answer is no. Criminal law is a small part of the work of the solicitor profession. The larger firms do no criminal work at all. Any work done by bigger firms is invariably white collar type. ln country areas some solicitors have a mixed practise but the local district court will only sit 1 day a week and even then will deal with civil and criminal business. In the cities, there will be a few firms who are exclusively legal-aid solicitors. In terms of the numbers engaged in criminal work, it is only about 1 to 2% of the total number of solicitors. In order to ear any money in criminal work it is necessary to have volume. Numerous cases being mentioned every day in the courts.

If youre working for any decent size firm you will have volume in DC setting

4ensic15

Commanchie wrote: »

If youre working for any decent size firm you will have volume in DC setting

There are only a handful of firms operating a large volume of DC cases. Most of the firms are one and two solicitors, some are 1 solicitor with no secretary. Only a few have more than 5 solicitors and none have 15 or above.

Commanchie

4ensic15 wrote: »

There are only a handful of firms operating a large volume of DC cases. Most of the firms are one and two solicitors, some are 1 solicitor with no secretary. Only a few have more than 5 solicitors and none have 15 or above.

I work with a Dublin firm with more then 5. 2 allocated daily to DC between CCJ and Cloverhill district

Teamhrach

Apologies if this isn't allowed and feel free to delete. Could anyone suggest via PM a few names of criminal solicitors in Galway/Sligo? I've always wanted to do criminal but became disillusioned with firms only doing conveyancing/corp/family law, after saying in the interview they do lots of criminal! (I wouldn't be in a position to work unpaid in Dublin just yet) Thank you

Victor

Teamhrach wrote: »

Apologies if this isn't allowed

Names not allowed. However, go along on a sitting day and get the names of the firms. Alternatively, phone the local garda stations and see who they suggest.

Teamhrach wrote: »

Could anyone suggest via PM a few names of criminal solicitors in Galway/Sligo?

Market will be much smaller and spread out.

Teamhrach

Victor wrote: »

Names not allowed. However, go along on a sitting day and get the names of the firms. Alternatively, phone the local garda stations and see who they suggest.

Market will be much smaller and spread out.

I'll do both - thanks for the reply!