General characteristics of people in the occupation of defense attorney can be very difficult to define with exceptions. For instance, it’s safe to say that most defense lawyers strongly believe in the U.S. justice system and in the right of every citizen to a fair trial. Beyond that, each attorney is bound to be dissimilar in various ways, which is one important consideration when a person has been charged with a crime and needs to hire a lawyer.
Defense Lawyer Characteristics
Criminal defense lawyers come from a broad range of cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. A defendant typically does not need to relate to the defense attorney on any of these levels to form a beneficial relationship. What the defendant needs is a lawyer who is skilled, experienced, and ready to provide an aggressive and thorough defense for all clients.
The Need for Time and Resources
The attorney should be able and willing to spend the necessary amount of time on each client’s case to ensure the best possible outcome. In fact, this is the main problem with accepting the free assistance of a public defender instead of hiring a private lawyer. Public defenders tend to be very overworked with case loads that are virtually unmanageable. Even with their best intentions, they may find it difficult to provide the kind of effective defense that characterizes private attorneys.
The Need for Experience
Experience counts a great deal when it comes to criminal defense. New law school graduates who want to work in this field sometimes start out as public defenders. Others begin by assisting seasoned lawyers and handling cases under close supervision. At trial, they may question witnesses but are unlikely to make opening and closing statements until they have more experience.
Some new graduates even start working for the prosecution before they eventually switch to representing defendants, which is how the career path for one of the partners at Addair Thurston Chtd. progressed. This gives the lawyer distinct insight into how the prosecution works, and that can be very valuable for defendants. Visit us for more details on these particular attorneys. You can also follow them on Twitter for more information.
