The different types of lawyers and descriptions of each

There are really just two types of lawyers:

1. Courtroom lawyers, also known as trial attorneys. They generally move forward with cases that go to trial, file and prepare all the necessary legal documents and paperwork.
2. The other type of attorneys are what is known as “transactional attorneys”. Transactional lawyers make deals with opposing attorneys in order to keep the case from going to trial.

Below are the most common areas of legal practice and specializations of attorneys:

• Litigation: These types of lawyers work to resolve disputes between opposition and usually represent the more established, and usually larger law firms.

• Trial Lawyers: Trial attorneys are involved in business disputes and many (if not all) of these practice criminal law or personal-injury and similar negligent related areas of specialty.

• Criminal Law: Attorneys that work in this area usually have the unique ability to be able to protect people who have committed crimes and to keep them from going to prison, whether guilty or not and from being punished.

• Family Law: This area of specialty encompasses anything family related like, divorce, child support matters, seperation, child custody, spousal violence and abuse, and adopton.

• Corporate Law: Corporate lawyers help corporations deal with any issues which involve, division of assets, stock, stock stock shares, and mergers.

• Trusts and Estates, Tax: Trust and Estate legal counsel assist people with property disposition after death. Analyze tax consequences of business transactions.

• Intellectual Property: Protect intellectual rights of a person. Examples would be a patent or copyright dispute.

• International Law: There are two branches of international law. Public interest law which is government related whereby attorneys work on treaties and agreements and they are usually experienced in this field beforehand. Perhaps they worked for the government in some capacity previously. The international type of attorne deals with clients on an international level and are usually representatives for the bigger, more established law firms.

• Labor Law: Labor lawyers give advice to their corporate clients on the statutes and legalities of the fair labor act, regulations in the workplace, hiring employees, firing employees, pension plans and union negotiations.

• Real Estate: Real estate attorneys handle property transactions which involve the selling, buying or leasing of real property.

• Bankruptcy: Attorneys that are in this field of expertise assist businesses or people deal with financial matters with creditors and file bankruptcy.

• Health Law: These lawyers assist owners or operators of health care facilities by advising them on the different state and federal regulations, insurance and financing.

• Environmental Law: These attorney types usually work with government agencies, property owners, insurance companies and environmental agencies with any pollution matters or disputes.

• Sports and Entertainment: Attorneys in this field help negotiate contracts and business transactions for people in professional sports and those in the entertainment industry.

These are the main types of lawyers and the most common types of legal practices.