Outline of a Speech on Defending my Criminal Justice Degree

Jade A. Turner
Public Speaking; 2608
09/11/14

Defeating my degree in criminal justice

Topic: Criminal Justice Major General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To interest my classmates that obtaining a degree in criminal justice from
Santa Fe College will aid me in advancing in my future career of becoming a lawyer and ultimately opening up my own law firm. Central Idea: Investing in the proper education and developing the suitable skills will assist me in achieving my image of success by becoming an outstanding criminal defense attorney for the state of Florida. I. Introduction: A) If you think the workload for the average college student is insane, just think about all the paperwork of a lawyer. B) Next to the position of defense attorney’s are paralegals. They’re job is to organize and research. Once everything is handed to the attorney, it’s crunch time. C) Being a lawyer is a serious job to take up, with the knowledge and skills I develop, I can be more successful in that position. D) Going beyond my AA degree and getting a higher education will get me ahead and enable me to perform better. II. Crime exists in every part of the world, rates may vary in terms of location, but in Florida alone there are eleven of the Nation's 100 most dangerous cities. That’s more than any other state.
That’s why this state needs someone like me to bring closure and justice to families who are deeply involved with the law. A) With this program, I can develop more competitive skills & become more exposed to the criminal law field with possibilities of broad opportunity. I) Public speaking is required for me to learn how to speak more effectively to an audience.
2) Every courthouse in America needs good lawyers.

3) I will be able to fulfil the needs of my clients. B) Criminal law is a segment of the law system in which focuses on crimes committed against the public authorities. ● The salary of a defense attorney in Florida ranges from $33,600 to $150,000.

C) I have quite a few influences as to why I became interested in achieving my career in this particular field. 1) As a child I’ve always had a passion to work within the system. I went from wanting to be a police officer to a homicide detective and finally a defense attorney. This is intended to be my last decision, but who knows. I might later become interested in digital forensics or being some type of judge. 2) A friend of the family, Judge Reginald graduate of University of Miami with a degree in law, taught me about the system and encouraged me to pursue a career in this field due to my deep, growing interests. I took his recommendation under consideration. ● Many people believe that the workload of a lawyer is a bit exaggerated. III. There’s tons of reading involved, of course due to the simple fact that you are required to learn every aspect of the law. A) The readings consists of endless rules and regulations intended for your consumption of knowledge. B) This course helps the development of not only speaking but reading as well, that is if you’re doing what you’re supposed to. Having a degree in criminal justice will guide me through all the courses needed to prepare me for my future career as a lawyer. IV. There are so many careers that you can choose from within the criminal justice program. A) Paralegal: Someone who is trained in subsidiary matters; but not yet qualified to fill a lawyers shoes. The calculated wages for this positions varies between $38,720­$53,010 in the state of Florida. C) Federal Judges: People trained to resolve matters within the U.S. federal courts, dealing with both civil and criminal cases. All of these positions (including a defense attorney) require the following: ● Appropriate and documented training.
● Certification from a bar association
● Mock trial practice
● An undergraduate degree

All of which can be accomplished with the proper education here at Santa Fe College. In order for me to be able to qualify for this position, I will need to absorb the fitting knowledge and skill recommended by the program that will help me advance to the next level.

V. Conclusion A) By investing my time in a higher education with my degree in criminal justice, I can progress in my preferred field and achieve my greatest dream. This program is highly competitive and I need whatever it takes to rise to the top. Law schools only accept the best of the best and I want to be included in that critical decision. B) In closing, I believe that this school, along with its program is definitely worth the time and investments for preparing me for my upcoming career and written recognition of me finishing out my degree with a major in criminal justice.