Do you want to be a firefighter or police officer?
Do you respect the law and the rule of law?
Do you like to help people?
Do you think it would be exciting to work in a courtroom?
Are you good at debating and winning arguments?
Do you enjoy school?
Are you detail-oriented and driven?
Would you enjoy being responsible for other people's safety?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you might want to consider a career in law and public safety. This career cluster includes a number of professions that are vital to the success of our society and our way of life, including:

• Firefighter
• Police officer
• Corrections officer
• Lawyer
• Judge
• Paralegal
• Bailiff
• Security guard

Cluster Definition

Jobs in the law and public safety career cluster involve planning, managing, and providing judicial, legal, and protective services.

Career Pathways in Law and Public Safety

A career pathway is an area of concentration within a career cluster. Each pathway contains a group of careers requiring similar academic and technical skills as well as similar industry certifications or postsecondary education. The law and public safety career cluster has three pathways: law and legal public services, criminal justice and corrections, and fire protection.

Law and Legal Public Services
Occupations in this pathway involve ensuring the proper function of our nation's legal system. Jobs include legislator, judge, magistrate, lawyer, legal assistant and paralegal, and inspector or compliance officer.

Criminal Justice and Corrections
This pathway includes a variety of occupations involved in protecting the public, keeping the peace, and controlling inmate populations. Jobs include security guard, forensic expert, police chief, police officer, detective, corrections officer, bailiff, and U.S. Marshal.

Fire Protection
All occupations in this pathway involve working in potentially risky situations, fighting fires and protecting the public against fires and other dangers. Jobs include dispatcher, firefighter, and fire inspector.

Click here for a visual representation of the law and public safety career cluster.

Print and Internet Resources

These Print and Internet Resources offer references for career cluster exploration, including trade, professional, and business associations, government departments and agencies, labor unions, and cluster-specific career Web sites.

Law and Public Safety Print and Internet Resources

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