It's that time of year when colleges and universities nationwide are producing graduates of all types, including those who are leaving armed with law degrees, to venture out into the world and utilize the education and skills they have attained. Though many with law degrees inherently know they want to practice law in some form, there are others who may stray from doing that specifically and, instead, move into other arenas. Some may become cops and then may become lawyers later in life. Others become lawyers and then decide to be cops. In either case, the combination of knowledge and skills is meld from one to the other.

Examples are plentiful, and the first that comes to mind is former U. S. Capitol Police Chief and current U. S. Senate Sergeant-At-Arms, Terrance W. Gainer. Gainer, who holds a law degree from DePaul University in Chicago, is a cop at heart but his legal skills and knowledge have also served him well. He began his career as a police officer in the Chicago Police Department in 1968. Gainer attended law school while working as a cop, and he was admitted to the Illinois Federal District Court and the U. S. Supreme Court. Gainer served as Chief Legal Officer of the Chicago Police Department and, during 1981-1984, he negotiated the city's first labor contract with the police union.

Gainer also practiced private law and worked in the specialty area of family law and adoptions. At one point, he also prosecuted police misconduct cases. Knowing both sides of the system - from a lawyer's perspective and a cop's viewpoint - has served him well to attain the level of success and the various positions he has acquired in his renowned career. "Law school helped me to be a better homicide detective and, eventually, police leader," says Gainer.

In similar fashion to other universities around the country, George Mason University Law School in Arlington, Virginia produced 224 law school graduates this May 2008. One stand-out is a young man who, at first glance, makes quite an impression. Juan Carlos Estevez, who hails from Miami, has what it takes to be a lawyer - and a cop - if he decides to go that route. For now, his sights are set on being an attorney and practicing law upon passing the Bar exam, but any law enforcement recruiter scouting for new talent would gravitate towards him immediately.