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How to hire a criminal justice lawyer

Criminal justice lawyer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring criminal justice lawyers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a criminal justice lawyer is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new criminal justice lawyer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a criminal justice lawyer, step by step

To hire a criminal justice lawyer, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a criminal justice lawyer:

Here's a step-by-step criminal justice lawyer hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a criminal justice lawyer job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new criminal justice lawyer
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a criminal justice lawyer do?

A criminal justice lawyer is responsible for representing clients in court with criminal charges and defends them according to legal requirements and procedures. Criminal justice lawyers analyze the case by undergoing in-depth research and investigation that would support settlement claims. They reference laws and state regulations to identify the clients' options for case resolution. A criminal justice lawyer must have extensive knowledge of the legal industry, as well as possessing excellent critical-thinking skills to strategize appeals and negotiate pleas on trials.

Learn more about the specifics of what a criminal justice lawyer does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your criminal justice lawyer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a criminal justice lawyer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect criminal justice lawyer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    The following list breaks down different types of criminal justice lawyers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Criminal Justice LawyerDescriptionHourly rate
    Criminal Justice LawyerLawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.$15-36
    Housing CounselorA Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.$20-69
    Staff AttorneyStaff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.$33-83
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Criminal Justice
    • Semester
    • Public Safety
    • Syllabus
    • Law Enforcement Agencies
    • Sociology
    • Criminal Law
    • Mental Health
    • Criminal Behavior
    • Data Collection
    • Research Projects
    • GPA
    • CPR
    • Blackboard
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage and maintain CJ laboratory and supplies in accordance with curriculum needs and OSHA regulations.
    • Establish a working forensics' lab.
    • Train in ecollege, blackboard and moodle
    • Advise clients of their rights and file appeals.
    • Coach first and second semester students in research writing.
    • Create class objectives, syllabus, assignments, exercises and exams.
    More criminal justice lawyer duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the criminal justice lawyer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A criminal justice lawyer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a criminal justice lawyer in Mississippi may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level criminal justice lawyer. Additionally, a criminal justice lawyer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average criminal justice lawyer salary

    $49,977yearly

    $24.03 hourly rate

    Entry-level criminal justice lawyer salary
    $32,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average criminal justice lawyer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$65,213$31
    2Alaska$55,169$27
    3New York$52,531$25
    4Texas$45,419$22
    5Massachusetts$43,568$21
    6Illinois$42,465$20
    7Oregon$41,964$20
    8Maryland$41,929$20
    9Florida$41,720$20
    10Louisiana$39,955$19
    11Colorado$39,779$19
    12Rhode Island$39,761$19
    13Ohio$39,617$19
    14Georgia$39,517$19
    15Michigan$38,724$19
    16Missouri$38,116$18
    17Wisconsin$37,620$18
    18Iowa$36,668$18
    19North Carolina$36,149$17

    Average criminal justice lawyer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Indiana University of Pennsylvania$59,170$28.452
    2ACLU of Illinois$56,332$27.08
    3City of Louisville$53,851$25.89
    4San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group$53,642$25.79
    5The City University of New York$53,288$25.622
    6Viterbo University$52,707$25.342
    7University of Colorado Boulder$52,413$25.20
    8United States Courts$52,172$25.08
    9Arapahoe County$51,382$24.70
    10Alachua County$49,909$23.99
    11Sam Houston State University$48,255$23.203
    12Alaska State Library$48,090$23.125
    13Kansas City Kansas Community College$47,976$23.07
    14Missouri State University$47,826$22.99
    15Americorps$45,979$22.115
    16Bryant & Stratton College$45,426$21.84
    17Robert Half$44,905$21.592
    18SUNY Delhi$44,781$21.53
    19State Of Florida$41,752$20.07
    20Florida Dept. of Health$39,665$19.07
  4. Writing a criminal justice lawyer job description

    A criminal justice lawyer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a criminal justice lawyer job description:

    Criminal justice lawyer job description example

    You will be expected to produce at least 4 to 5 stories a week and one enterprise piece every month. The expected schedule is Monday through Friday, but will vary depending on news needs.

    Responsibilities:

    • Write stories on tight deadlines that are complete, fair and provide context for readers.

    • Produce fast-moving, highly readable stories while also working on in-depth, topical stories.

    • Use data and research to inform reporting.

    • Request and track public records and use and develop databases for revelatory reporting.

    • Use social media platforms both as a news-gathering tool and as a way to push the news out quickly and build our audience, as well as your own brand.

    • Use SEO smartly and strategically.

    • Understand and use audience metrics to help increase readership.

    • Shoot photos and video when needed.

    • Meet departmental goals: Help formulate goals and actively seek to meet them.

    • Participate in training sessions offered and seek out learning opportunities to keep skills updated in a continuously evolving industry.

    • Work collaboratively with co-workers.

    Education:

    • College degree, preferably in journalism or communications.

    • A minimum of 2 years news writing experience.

    Skills:

    • Strong news judgment and knowledge of libel laws and journalistic ethics.

    • Command of grammar, spelling, AP style, as well as skills in story organization and clear writing.

    • An intuitive sense of what's important and interesting to audiences on all platforms.

    • A deep curiosity and high energy, and an ability to develop a variety of sources.

    • The ability to write quickly, accurately and engagingly on a wide variety of topics.

    • A commitment to diverse coverage through community engagement and source building.

    • A collaborative work ethic and the ability to communicate easily with people around the office and across the company.

    • Proficient knowledge of technology including content management systems and storytelling tools.

    • Ability to quickly and accurately research and verify the authenticity of information, sources, photos and video.

    • Fluency in Spanish is desirable.

    • Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver's license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).

    Relocation assistance available.

    Please include a range of samples of your work, including daily and enterprise stories, along with a cover letter and resume. You may also send links to personal websites or your portfolio.


    #LI-JC1
    McClatchy is committed to providing equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all applicants and employees. McClatchy considers all candidates without regard to basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, medical condition, family care status, pregnancy or physical disability (except where physical fitness is a valid occupational qualification), or any other basis protected by state and federal laws.
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find criminal justice lawyers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your criminal justice lawyer job on Zippia to find and recruit criminal justice lawyer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with criminal justice lawyer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new criminal justice lawyer

    Once you've decided on a perfect criminal justice lawyer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    To prepare for the new criminal justice lawyer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a criminal justice lawyer?

Recruiting criminal justice lawyers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $49,977 per year for a criminal justice lawyer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for criminal justice lawyers in the US typically range between $15 and $36 an hour.

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