What Criminal Justice Career Fields are There?

Here are dozens of helpful articles on paralegal, forensics and law enforcement careers and education to help you navigate the waters toward the right criminal justice career to meet your goals.

One of the top criminal justice careers today is paralegal. To complement our Paralegal Resource Center, here are some articles that will give you insight into starting a career as a paralegal.

• Entry-Level Paralegal Jobs: Learn how to get a paralegal job right out of school and without prior work experience.

• Top Paralegal Certificate Programs: If you already have a bachelor's degree and are thinking of changing careers, learn about getting a paralegal certificate and get on the job market sooner than you think.

• Paralegal Training in a Tough Economy: When the economy's down, the determined job hunters find the jobs. Learn how to improve your chances.

• Top 10 Reasons to Pursue your Paralegal Studies Online: Students are going online in record numbers for their studies – for at least 10 good reasons.
   
• Legal Ethics in Your Paralegal Studies and Beyond: Avoid unauthorized practice of the law by learning about legal ethics for paralegals.

• Civil Litigation For Paralegals: Civil litigation is the field chosen by more paralegals than any other. Here are the basics of litigation that you'll study in your paralegal program.

• Contract Law and Paralegal Training: Not every paralegal wants to work in litigation. Contract law is a great specialty option for paralegals.

• Trademark Law and Paralegal Training: Filing for trademark protection with the US Patent and Trademark Office is a fascinating paralegal specialty that might fit your career goals.

• Supreme Court Cases in Your Paralegal Studies: These important Supreme Court cases demonstrate how our legal system works.

• Paralegal Study Guide: Legal Latin: After the medical field, the legal profession is the one that uses the most Latin. Take this quiz to see how much legal Latin you know.

Law enforcement is the central component of criminal justice careers. Law enforcement and crime prevention offer a wide variety of career options. Read these fun and insightful articles and interviews to learn more about what law enforcement jobs are really all about.

• History of Women Police Officers: Author Adam Eisenberg talks about the women police officers he interviewed for his book. Learn about the history of women in law enforcement.

• Fighting Drug Abuse: Careers in Criminal Justice: Whether you're a police officer, a probation officer or a corrections officer, learn what you need to know to combat this societal problem.

• Top Careers in Criminology: Police force jobs just scratch the surface of the careers you can pursue with a degree in criminal justice. Become a university professor, work in corporate security, and more.

• Law Enforcement Training Requirements: Find the law enforcement training requirements for these top jobs, including some of the high-level courses you'll take.

• Law Enforcement Jobs for Veterans: Many veterans return to civilian life every year, with skills that are well suited for jobs in law enforcement. Find out which jobs might be a good fit for you.
   
• Interview with a Veteran FBI Agent: A real FBI agent answers questions about the most challenging parts of the job, and offers recommendations for people who want to join the FBI.
   
• Interview with a Private Investigator: Private investigation seems exciting, but what training and licensing do you need to begin, and what are the challenges of the job? Read this interview to find out.
   
• The Ten Most Wanted Serial Killers: What's your criminal justice IQ? Take this quiz to see how much you know about some of the most infamous killers in history.
   
• The Ten Best Criminal Justice Movies: From film noir to Hitchcock, with a little dose of comedy, check out our list of top ten criminal justice films.
   
• Interview With an Online Criminal Justice Teacher: If you want a criminal justice degree with a Christian focus, get insight from this online criminal justice professor.
   
• Parole Officer vs. Probation Officer: What's the difference?: Are parole and probation officers the same? Read this article to find out.

Helping the legal community with their scientific and psychological expertise, forensics experts also play a great role within the major criminal justice careers. And forensic science is one of the most intriguing careers around.

• Forensic Pathology: The Body Farm: How do forensic pathologists determine how long a corpse has been dead? Learn this—and more—in our article about an outdoor forensic laboratory.
   
• DNA or Fingerprinting: Which is more reliable?: Fingerprint and DNA identification have both improved the science of criminal justice. But which one is better at identifying criminals?
   
• Forensic Scientist Interview: Learn about the most common misconceptions about forensic science, as well as the skills needed and common challenges in this interview with a forensic scientist.
   
• Criminalist vs. Criminologist: Are they the same?: People often confuse criminalists (aka forensic scientists) and criminologists. But they're very different.
   
• Forensic Psychology: Learn what forensics psychologists do in this overview of the profession: education and training, job description, and salary.