|
Living Up to Legends: A Criminal Justice Career Takes You There |
|
 |
May 10, 2005
by James Tolles
John Jay became the country's first chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1789. To some day reach such a high post, a criminal justice or law degree can get you rolling.
Forming a New Country
Under the new federal constitution, George Washington appointed John Jay as the Chief Justice to the Supreme Court in 1789. Jay had been a key author in The Federalist Papers that supported creating the Constitution. The U.S. had been operating under the Articles of Confederacy, but Jay believed that a stronger central government was essential for the U.S. to survive. Jay and other influential individuals like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton successfully got the Constitution ratified along with a Bill of Rights, which was a concession to Constitution opponents.
Forming a New Career
You probably won't follow the same career path as John Jay. He was schooled at King's College (now Columbia University) at age fourteen, and he studied law under Benjamin Kissam. By 1768, he had earned admittance to the Bar of New York. In 1774, he attended the First Continental Congress and was elected president of the Second Continental Congress.
Your career path to become a lawyer or judge could involve earning a degree in criminal justice. While not quite so revolutionary as founding a government, the Internet offers you the amazing opportunity to go online to earn a college degree.
Criminal Justice Online College Degree
A criminal justice career centers on the police, courts, and corrections. If you aren't sure that following John Jay to the peak of the courts system is for you, a criminal justice degree gives you the flexibility to explore other avenues of the law like law enforcement. But much like Jay, you probably will find that you are concerned about creating or maintaining fair law processes to ensure that the U.S. stays strong and safe for years to come.
About the Author
James Tolles is the Managing Editor for HQ Publications. He helped write and edit the successful application for Sparks, NV that earned the city honors as a 2004 All-America City Finalist-a title held by only 30 cities in the nation. He is also a freelance writer. He attended a four year liberal arts college and holds two B.A. degrees, one in Creative Writing and the other in History.
Sources
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/jay.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jay
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/criminal-justice
|
 |
|
|
|
