Law is a wide-ranging career that has many areas to pursue. For example, prosecutors and lawyers are two career fields. Following this line, what is the difference between the prosecutor’s job and the lawyer’s job?
A lawyer and a prosecutor are both legal professionals. The difference is that lawyers are responsible for defending a person or institution. At the same time, the prosecutor represents who’s accusing the person or institution. The lawyer defends, and the prosecutor tries to blame the defendant.
This article shows the definition of lawyer and prosecutor and the different areas in which both can specialize.
What Is A Lawyer?
An attorney is a person studied and certified by law to defend or advise on the rights of another person or institution in legal matters.
Examples:
- I have a problem with the previous owner of my house because he does not want to give me the title of the property until I pay it. Still, to pay it, I must ask for a loan at the bank, and I must deliver the title of the property. That is why I need an outstanding lawyer. I can’t take it anymore!
- I wouldn’t say I like to debate with lawyers, as they take my words out of context and transpose them at their convenience.
- I have seen situations where people are victorious from harmful actions. That is why I want to be a lawyer, and thus I will defend who deserves it.
What Is A Prosecutor?
The prosecutor represents a person when filing charges against an individual, corporation, or company. They are responsible for presenting the necessary evidence of the crime that proves the guilt of the accused.
Examples:
- I think my life mission is to be a prosecutor. Thus, I can ensure that all the people who do evil deeds serve a sentence for it. People should know that there is a consequence for every action, and I will take care of that.
- I hope the prosecutor in my mother’s case brings us enough evidence. I couldn’t bear to let the criminal who broke into our house go free.
- I like to watch series where the protagonists are prosecutors. They always speak the truth, and it is fascinating to see all the evidence when presenting the case.
What Skills Are Needed To Be A Lawyer?
Lawyers need several skills to be successful when presenting their cases. Some of them are:
- Rational and investigative skills
Lawyers depend on their capacity to handle in-depth studies on concerns associated with the cases they serve. In extension, examining the features, determining the correct data, understanding the context of customers and spectators, and other rational applications are required as a lawyer. Also, they should examine papers, detailed data, and additional information that will demand critical thinking on their case.
- Awareness to detail
It is vital to keep intimate awareness of detail that the common eye may miss—the success or failure of the cases in which the lawyer works will depend on these details.
- Organizational abilities
Relevant records and other documents are the primary components of the field. Due to this level of importance, lawyers must determine a reliable system to organize their data even if they simultaneously work with more than one client.
- Compelling communication
Lawyers implement influencing methods regularly in their cases, particularly attorneys who perform in court. Persuasive communication demands linking to others, discovering their vulnerable spots, and using techniques to resolve problems and make progress.
- Interpersonal abilities
Attorneys socialize and operate with a mixture of customers and experts. Therefore, it is highly beneficial to have powerful interpersonal skills, including compassion. In addition, interpreting sentiments, giving comfort, and assisting in solving disagreements are skills that lawyers regularly rely on while working with their customers.
What Abilities Are Needed To Be A Prosecutor?
Although prosecutors are lawyers and need the same skills, some additional talents can be of use to them:
- Analytical
It is vital to have the ability to analyze the information that is obtained and to be able to determine what is credible and what is not. The prosecutor must have this ability because his cases are based on the facts they could obtain.
- Initiative and independence
Without taking the credit for teamwork, prosecutors should be comfortable working independently. They must have the initiative to investigate on their own the data necessary to build their case. They should also use this skill to follow the required leads or make recommendations to their clients.
- Work under pressure
Prosecutors are under tremendous pressure when working because getting the data and putting together a case is not easy. Therefore, prosecutors must cultivate the ability to remain calm and have an active mind while working under pressure.
- Verbal communication skills
Verbal communication is an essential skill for any attorney. However, prosecutors must be determined and confident when presenting their case without hesitation. Verbal communication is the necessary support for the information that will be shared with the jury.
What Are The Main Types Of Lawyers?
There are several branches in which the law career can be classified. Each of these branches needs specialization and, in some states, you need a certification that supports knowledge and study. Among the most common, we can find the following:
- Civil litigation
Civil litigation attorneys are charged with attending civil courts, not criminal courts, to defend the accuser or the accused. These cases involve two or more people in a lawsuit. The most common issues are complaints against the government or part of it, lawsuits, or problems with a property.
- Real estate
This type of lawyer is in charge of any transaction that has to do with real estate, thus representing the seller or the buyer. Common cases you may have are home loans, buying or selling a property, or eviction.
- Criminal law
Unlike the civil litigator, the criminal lawyer represents people who have a problem with the government or the law. This type of attorney is seen in criminal courts. Also, this lawyer must be comfortable when collecting evidence and contacting witnesses, must know the prison laws, the deals that can be made, and all the crimes that could be sentenced by the government and the state in which they work.
- Personal injury
Personal injury lawyers manage matters where the plaintiff was damaged due to another company or person’s carelessness. The most ordinary personal injury lawsuits are those for automobile misfortunes and fall and slip events.
- Immigration
Lawyers dedicated to the immigration area are in charge of work visas, residences, asylums, and others. They represent a person or family that has problems with migration in the country. The importance of specializing in this field of the profession is that immigration laws are constantly changing in the country, so a good immigration lawyer will be informed of the changes that are made.
- Family law
A lawyer focused on family laws manages legal matters associated with all sorts of family conditions, such as a prenuptial contract, adoption, or divorce.
- Employment law
Both agents and companies use these lawyers to deal with legal matters correlated to the workplace.
- Workers’ compensation
A workers’ compensation attorney-at-law would operate a blend of employment law and personal injury law, that is, supposing that you were injured on the work. Workers’ compensation lawyers concentrate on assisting workers in operating the unusual rules that appeal to personalities who have been injured in the business.
- Intellectual property
Intellectual property attorneys-at-law help businesses, creators, and designers with judicial matters linked to copyrights, brands, licenses, trade secrets, and others. Intellectual property lawyers operate with customers to assist them in avoiding that they violate the rights of others and ensure that their intellectual property is being protected by law.
Conclusion
Both lawyers and prosecutors must study law, but both have different approaches to their careers. If you are interested in studying law, it is best to review all the areas of the profession and start specializing in the one that most catches your attention.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.