By Area of Law:
* Corporate Law: Advising businesses on legal matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, contracts, and intellectual property.
* Criminal Law: Representing individuals accused of crimes, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. This can be further divided into defense attorneys (representing the accused) and prosecutors (representing the state).
* Family Law: Handling cases involving divorce, child custody, adoption, and domestic violence.
* Real Estate Law: Dealing with property transactions, landlord-tenant disputes, and zoning regulations.
* Personal Injury Law: Representing individuals who have been injured due to someone else's negligence. This often involves car accidents, medical malpractice, and product liability.
* Bankruptcy Law: Assisting individuals and businesses in filing for bankruptcy protection.
* Immigration Law: Representing individuals seeking immigration status in the United States or other countries.
* Environmental Law: Focusing on environmental regulations and related litigation.
* Intellectual Property Law: Protecting trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets.
* Estate Planning: Helping clients plan for the distribution of their assets after death, including drafting wills and trusts.
* Tax Law: Advising clients on tax matters, including tax planning and tax litigation.
* Labor and Employment Law: Representing employers and employees in disputes related to employment law.
* Constitutional Law: Focusing on the interpretation and application of the Constitution.
* International Law: Dealing with legal issues involving multiple countries.
* Administrative Law: Dealing with regulations and procedures of government agencies.
* Contract Law: Specializing in the creation, negotiation, and enforcement of contracts.
* Torts: Dealing with civil wrongs (other than breach of contract) that cause injury to another.
By Type of Practice:
* Litigation: Focusing on trials and court proceedings.
* Transactional: Focusing on negotiating and drafting legal documents, rather than court appearances.
* In-house counsel: Attorneys employed by a company to provide legal advice.
* Public defender: Government-employed attorneys who represent indigent defendants in criminal cases.
* Solo practitioner: Attorneys who operate their own law firms.
This is not an exhaustive list, and many attorneys specialize in sub-categories within these broader areas. For example, within personal injury law, there might be attorneys who focus solely on medical malpractice or car accidents. The best way to find the right attorney for your needs is to research the specific area of law relevant to your situation.