A Career in Criminal Justice for Psychology Majors
Criminal justice is a rewarding and challenging career.
Preserving the peace, working in the court system, securing facilities and ensuring the safety of those using them are just part of the duties of the police officer, paralegal, or security guard.
Police officers work in stressful situations. Officers respond to domestic violence, robberies, public disturbances, and drug and alcohol offenses.
Much of an officer’s day is spent investigating traffic crashes and reported crimes.
Police officers and sheriff’s deputies are required to be certified as peace officers in the state in which they are employed. Certification is awarded after successful completion of criminal justice classes in a basic police academy which lasts several weeks.
The Paralegal and the Legal System
Paralegals are instrumental in the criminal justice process.
These professionals assist attorneys in several ways:
1 Preparation for trials and court proceedings
2 Drafting legal documents
3 Investigation and research
4 Case tracking and file maintenance
5 Organization and analysis of data
About 70 percent of all paralegals are employed by law firms. Others work for federal and state government, the medical industry, and manufacturing or sales firms.
Paralegals are usually required to have earned either an associate’s degree in paralegal studies prior to employment or possess a bachelor’s degree in another field with a certificate in paralegal studies. Many certificate programs can be completed within a few months of full-time study.
Additional paralegal certification awarded by nationally recognized paralegal organizations is not required by most employers. Professional certification makes paralegals competitive for the best positions.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the estimated number of paralegals is almost 250,000. The annual mean wage is $50,080.
The job prospects for good paralegals is excellent. It is expected that the growth of this industry will be faster than for other occupations.
Earning a college degree favorably positions graduates for hiring in the field of criminal justice. Degrees satisfy not only entrance level employment requirements but accelerate graduates into management positions
Thanks for this article goes out to San Diego State University, the Criminal Justice Degrees Online website, and the http://www.criminaljusticedegreesonline.net/arizona page in particular.