This is a good question because many people are actually going online to hire an attorney. They can do a very broad search. They can find out about the attorney's reviews. They can look at their credentials. They can look at how long they have been practicing. They can check the State Bar of California and see whether they're a member in good standing. However, the most crucial step is to meet the attorney in person, as this personal interaction can provide a sense of reassurance and confidence in your decision.
I am a top-rated criminal lawyer in Los Angeles. There are all sorts of things. And they can do it very quickly. That's what makes the internet so impressive.
What I'm seeing — and I've been doing this for twenty-five years — and have done all forms of advertising, and I pretty much just do criminal defense — I've seen things change here over even the last five years, where people are coming into the criminal defense communities as attorneys and being able to compete against the big boys like me because they have advertising dollars.
In other words, someone can graduate from law school and be a neophyte attorney, but their parents can give them a couple of hundred thousand dollars, or they could borrow money, and they can jump right to the top of Google or any of the other search engines.
Experience in Local Courts
One of the most crucial factors to consider when hiring a criminal attorney is their experience in local criminal courts. An attorney who is familiar with the local court system, judges, and court personnel is better equipped to handle your case effectively.
The question becomes, how do you, as a consumer, figure out which attorney to hire if these individuals can just appear on the scene? Another significant trend I see emerging is that people will call attorneys, and either young attorneys will be on the phone to answer questions and make predictions, or it will be someone who is essentially a case manager or secretary. They're trying to sell the case.
They don't know anything about your case. They don't understand the Los Angeles criminal justice system. They've never even been inside a courtroom, and they're now going to start making predictions on your case.
Many people fall victim to this, and I know that because I often receive cases from individuals who have hired the wrong attorney. Now, I've got to clean up the mess that has been created by making a bunch of false promises. Another thing they do is bring up stuff that has nothing to do with the person's case.
They start discussing all the great results they've achieved related to cases or issues that are unrelated to the client's case. So, I have people calling me, saying, ' Oh, yeah, this attorney said that; I could do this. I start asking them questions about their case, and their case has nothing to do with what that attorney said.
I point that out to them, and again, a lot of the stuff is common sense, and they're like, yeah, you're right. Why is he telling me all that I say? Well, because they're trying to sell you.
Attorney's Honesty with Clients
Another thing they do is light a fire under you that you've got to get moving now, etc. Listen. You need to hire the right attorney as soon as possible to start making moves on your behalf, but don't be bullied or pushed into anything. I don't want to take a case if I'm doing so under false premises, as some of these other attorneys do. I'm honest with the clients.
I let them know what I know about their situation, what I think will likely happen based on the facts they provided, and then I tell them, ' This could happen, that could happen. ' There are several possible outcomes. This is not like an algebraic formula where you simply plug in a couple of facts, and the attorney can say, ' Here's what's going to happen. ' Rarely is criminal defense like that.
There are numerous factors, including approximately twenty different variables, that determine whether a person will obtain a specific outcome in a particular criminal case in Los Angeles. Therefore, it is essential to meet with that attorney in person. You want somebody who knows the courthouse.
They don't have to have their office right on top of the courthouse, but they need to know the players in the courthouse because that's who they'll be dealing with, negotiating with, and arguing against: the judges and court personnel. This is crucial when discussing a criminal case in Los Angeles or anywhere else.
Of course, the person has to have experience. You're not getting an attorney who is fresh out of law school to handle a serious criminal case. You don't want to be the person they cut their teeth on. That could be a real problem for you.
Attorney's Credentials
I wrote a book called The Art of the Perfect Defense, and it is really geared toward helping you figure out how to choose an attorney in a sometimes difficult market. There are some great attorneys in Los Angeles. In fact, I think some of the best attorneys in the world are in Los Angeles because it's a huge metropolis with all sorts of criminal activity going on, so there are a lot of attorneys here who know what they're doing.
However, some attorneys are taking actions that need to be revised. For instance, you'll see some attorneys using their credentials because they've been practicing for a long time and rarely go to court. All they are is a figurehead. I don't think that's fair because why are you using your credentials when you're not the one going to court?
Let's review the credentials of the person you'll be representing me. They won't post that person's credentials because it's usually a new attorney. So, don't fall for that trick. That's not going to work. You ask them, ' Does this guy actually go to court? ' Is he part of a firm? Is he making decisions? Is he doing motions? Is he doing trials when it's necessary? Is he directing the case?
Attorney Who Takes Charge of Your Case
You know, sometimes a lawyer can't be everywhere at once, especially in Los Angeles County, which is a huge county with a lot of different courthouses, and that's okay, as long as whoever the attorney is you're hiring is in charge of your case — is running your case, making the decisions, making the moves and you can talk to them about your case so that you can make sure that you're getting a fair shake.
So, there are a lot of different things going on in LA County, but I think if you use your common sense in choosing your attorney — don't believe false promises; don't fall for the bait and switch where it's not even the attorney that's part of your case; don't let some young neophyte who doesn't know what they're doing represent you.
As soon as you start hearing promises, you scratch your head and ask, Does that make sense? And it sounds like they're saying stuff that just isn't feasible based on your circumstances.
Don't be tricked just because you're desperate, and hire an attorney who sounds the best, but who is telling you a rosy picture when you know it's not. You'll need someone to advocate for you to achieve the best possible outcome in your Los Angeles criminal case.
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