In fact, there are very subtle differences in many jurisdictions. The term "solicitor" is not used in the United States. Only in the United Kingdom. A lawyer (trained at the UK university) must graduate from law school and must be licensed to practice law. Solicitor must be registered on the register of the Law Society Solicitors. There is a official database of more than 158.000 legal professionals registered as "solicitors". Find a Solicitor takes data held by the SRA. Another difference is that "lawyers or attorneys" are regulated by the State Bar Association (US), while "solicitors" by "Solicitors Regulation Authority." In the United States, and 'lawyer' is a designation for any advocate licensed to practice law. Below mentioned term "Solicitor" is usually a mostly used in UK (United Kingdom), Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and some states of the US.
The most common qualification to be a solicitor is a normal undergraduate law degree. After that (undergraduate law degree) prospective solicitors study a one year course, which is called the Legal Practice Course and then must begin "training contract" undertake two years apprenticeship with a solicitor.
A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts for appointment to represent indigent persons; the latter are generally called public defenders. The terminology is imprecise because each jurisdiction may have different practices with various levels of input from state and federal law or consent decrees. Some jurisdictions use a rotating system of appointments with judges appointing a private practice attorney or firm for each case. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_defense_lawyer
If you're facing criminal charges (You were detained and imprisoned by the police), You have the right to remain silent. You should remember, that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court. You have - just like anyone else - the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an criminal defense attorney, you may qualify for a court-appointed lawyer.
- How to Become a Criminal Defense Lawyer? - wikihow.com
- Tips on how to find the right lawyer to handle your criminal case - nolo.com
- Various ways that private criminal lawyers charge for their work - nolo.com
How to find and compare top criminal defense law firms that provide legal aid for DUI and other criminal cases? Search Super Lawyers directory, compare criminal attorneys on Justia or browse detailed Avvo reports on Criminal Defense Attorneys across United States.
