Law encompasses many aspects of society and interactions between people. There are many circumstances and situations that may require legal advice or representation, which means a lawyer cannot only be a general lawyer. He or she must develop expertise in one or more specific areas of law. Here are five types of law practice areas.
1. Environmental Law
When an attorney practices environmental law, he or she may be asked to represent an individual, an advocacy organization, or a government agency. It’s important for environmental lawyers to familiarize themselves with transnational, international, federal, state, or local environmental legislation, depending on the scope and reach of their practices. Some examples of environmental law work include land disputes, natural resource management, climate change, and pollution reduction.
2. Personal Injury Law
A personal injury lawyer may deal with general personal injury cases, such as medical malpractice or automobile accidents. There are also more specific types of personal injury law, where one large case involving multiple entities is a large part of an attorney’s career. A good example of this is the Camp Lejeune toxic water claims. Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, anyone exposed to toxic water while working at or residing at the camp, or members of their families, is eligible to make a legal claim for injury or wrongful death compensation.
3. Criminal Law
Criminal law is one of the most well-known types of law practice areas. This is the field where prosecutors, district attorneys, and defense attorneys work. A criminal defense attorney is tasked with representing someone who has been accused of committing a crime and a prosecutor’s job is to sanction criminal or illegal behavior. The aspects of criminal law most commonly dealt with individual rights, responsibilities, and liberties. Criminal law cases tend to be more likely to go to trial.
4. Entertainment Law
Some areas of law practice are closely related to or intertwined with others. One of these is entertainment law, which often overlaps with intellectual property law. This is because both types of law deal with rights to intellectual property and associated royalties. However, entertainment lawyers may also be asked to review and provide advice regarding contracts or negotiate contracts for entertainment professionals such as actors, athletes, and musicians.
5. Aviation Law
There are also less commonly practiced areas of law, such as aviation law. Aviation law may overlap with international law, personal injury law, product liability law, and labor law depending on the specifics of a client’s case. Lawyers who choose to specialize in aviation law must also develop a working knowledge of the aviation industry and the particular sector of the injury he or she is interested in.
There are many areas of law practice, both common and highly specialized. An attorney may choose to focus on one field or wish to practice two or more. When you need an attorney, one of the first things you should do is determine what legal area your issue falls under so you can then find an attorney with an appropriate specialty.
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