Criminal litigation refers to the process of trying a criminal defendant in a court of law. Criminal litigators come in two varieties: criminal prosecutors, who present the government's case against the defendant, and criminal defense attorneys, who represent the interests of the defendant.

Criminal prosecutors practice at either the state level or the federal level, while criminal defense attorneys generally maintain private practices or work as public defenders for the state or federal government.

Whether prosecutors or defense attorneys, criminal lawyers handle a wide variety of cases, from white-collar crime, violent crimes, sex crimes, and drug trafficking to DUI, traffic offenses, and misdemeanors. Some concentrate on white-collar crime such as fraud, embezzlement, and insider trading. Others concentrate on criminal appeals or on capital defense, in which defendants are prosecuted for crimes punishable by the death penalty.

The Justice John Paul Stevens Jury Center is a website that serves as a clearinghouse for information about the jury to academics, students, judges, lawyers and members of the press and public.