Work in Law – Without Being a Lawyer
There are many career paths one can start in when wanting to pursue a career in the legal field.
Knowledge of the most common law enforcement and criminal justice careers can help you navigate in the direction of a new career.
Local Police and Detectives
Many people strive their entire lives to become a police officer or detective. These works are exciting and commendable. Whether you work in a big city or are a local municipal police officer, your job is to protect and serve your community.
This means that your primary responsibility is to protect the life and property of people in your jurisdiction, both on and off duty.
Municipal police officers perform common policing tasks according to their area. These tasks may include traffic control, regular patrol, crime investigation, and first aid response.
Officers are typically assigned to a specific location and serve at that location during their shift. Certain areas may employ special police units such as a SWAT team, a canine unit, bike patrol, motorcycle patrol, horse patrol, and boat patrol.
Federal Law Compliance
The federal government employs agents from the DEA, INS, Customs, US Marshals, FBI, and Secret Service.
The DEA conducts special investigations in conjunction with local and foreign governments into illegal drug activities. This may involve surveillance, undercover investigations, raids, and other activities to protect and enforce the national drug laws of the United States.
Customs agents investigate and enforce laws surrounding drug trafficking, child pornography, illegal customs activities, and money laundering.
INS agents are responsible for enforcing immigration laws and protecting the United States border. This involves detaining and deporting illegal immigrants, assisting legal immigrants, examining documents, interviewing potential immigrants, writing reports, updating records, and processing applications.
Border Patrol agents work along the 8,000 mile US border and keep you safe.
The largest jurisdiction of any federal agency belongs to the US Marshals. US Marshals perform a wide variety of duties, including the pursuit of federal fugitives, the protection of federal judicial members, the transportation of witnesses, the transport and control of prisoners, and the seizure of property in federal investigations.
FBI agents conduct investigations of all varieties that are relevant to both crime and national security issues. Secret Service agents protect the President, Vice President and their families from him. They also protect past and potential presidents.
However, many would be surprised to learn that they also investigate financial crimes such as credit card fraud, forgery, and forged government checks.