Articles Posted in Attorneys

It was forty years ago today that I was sworn into the Bar, which is the way we lawyers describe the ceremony of acknowledging that we will strive to uphold the Constitution and the laws while representing our clients.  The vast majority of those 40 years has been spent representing my clients who are being investigated for or even prosecuted in federal court for alleged criminal activity.  While a lot of time has passed, some things remain the same.

This morning when meeting with a client I remembered one of the things that has not changed in 40 years.  Clients who come to see a criminal defense lawyer are almost always scared.  Some do not show fear, others are overwhelmed, all are in stress.  I remembered that one reason I still love my work after four decades is that I get the chance to help someone in a stressful situation.  I am not always successful, but I always try to make my clients lives just a bit better as they go through the stress of an investigation or prosecution.  Obviously, winning the case us the best stress reducer of all!

Another thing I remember today is how clients need to know they can trust their lawyer.  A different client followed my advice recently and entered a guilty plea.  I had won an earlier case for this client, so he trusted my judgment and advice already.  Today’s case turned out well, he likely will not have a criminal conviction after a couple of years because of some changes in the law, and his decision to trust my advice led to this positive result.

Another day here in Atlanta, and another high-profile federal criminal case in the newspaper.  Although most of my work is doing federal criminal defense here in Atlanta, in Rome, Georgia (where the case in today’s paper is being handled) throughout Georgia and the rest of the country, I want to be clear: I am NOT involved in the case described in the attached article.  However, seeing the case got me thinking about advice for people who need to hire the very best federal criminal defense lawyer for themself, a family member or for a loved one.  Here are six thoughts and tips.

First (and last), experience is the key.  I’ve written and spoken to groups in the past about this, but it cannot be over-emphasized: federal criminal defense is a speciality.  Many truly excellent criminal defense lawyers are not skilled or schooled in the intricacies of handling a criminal case in federal court.   These otherwise very good attorneys are at a disadvantage when their client gets indicted by “the Feds.”  So, tip #1 is that clients and their families should make sure that the lawyer they are considering has a lot of experience in handling federal cases. Continue reading