What is a Civil Lawyer

A civil lawyer is a legal professional who represents an individual or group in their disputes with another individual or group. The cases which are represented by a civil lawyer are not of a criminal nature, as that is left up to the criminal justice system.

Classifications of a Civil Lawyer

There are many different specialties that a new lawyer can concentrate on upon earning his or her law degree. One specialty area is family law. A civil lawyer representing clients in family law would assist in such matters as divorce, child support and custody, elder law, wills, estate planning and other personal matters of this nature.

Contract law is the most popular specialty chosen by civil lawyers. In contract law, the lawyer represents parties who are suing others for violation of a previously established contract. A lawyer specializing in contract law may also work with two or more parties when a contract is written and issued to make sure the correct legal language is in place and that each party understands what he or she is signing.

The least popular type of specialization for a civil lawyer is tort law, due to the fact that it can be highly complicated and time-consuming. Tort law refers to determining the liability one person or group has in causing an injury to another, whether or not the injury was intentional.

Educational Requirements

Civil lawyers must graduate from law school and pass the bar exam before being permitted to practice law. While in school, some of the subjects studied include legal codes and terminology, state and federal laws and the code of conduct for civil lawyers. During the second and third year of college, future lawyers will concentrate more on the specialty area of civil law that he or she is interested in pursuing.