4 ms·

Get the best lawyer you can not afford How do you know which lawyer is good?

by TekMol 7y ago

jacquesm 7y ago
Ask around, good lawyers typically have a reputation, as do bad ones. Just like with any other kind of specialist that you hire, years in the field, track record and references.
- m0zg 7y ago
  How do you "ask around" if you're in jail already, though?
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    Good question, that's outside of my area of expertise, but my assumption would be that the justice system would at least allow you to communicate with your - prospective - lawyers. If not then it's a lost battle before it has begun.
    - Cougher 7y ago
      It didn't work out that way in my case. Prison/jail phone systems are a wreck. I wasn't able to contact my attorney and when I brought this up to the corrections officers, they said that I had no right to. Whether this was true or just the whim of guards who take inflicting abuse as a perk of the job, the end result was the same.
      - jacquesm 7y ago
        That's utterly disgusting.
      - m0zg 7y ago
        "Tell me, Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call when you are unable to speak?"
  - csomar 7y ago
    A good idea is to keep a list of lawyers, attorneys and other "can-use" people handy. Having a close one have access to that list and your banking details can help as he'll make the calls.
  - cookieswumchorr 7y ago
    Have friends/relatives you can depend on. It is almost the only way
  - throwaway744678 7y ago
    It's probably the place where you'll find the highest concentration of people who had to deal with a lawyer! Perhaps the sample is biased towards people who dealt with a bad lawyer, though.
  - throwaway_tech 7y ago
    Actually other inmates would be a great resource for an attorney referral. You could joke, or think common sense, would say you don't want the same lawyer as anyone who has been convicted...but the reality is even the best criminal defense lawyers will lose. You will be able to find people who have been charged with similar crimes or find convicts who have previously been charged with similar crimes and got off, but are in for something else now.
- pc86 7y ago
  "Asking around" is worthless as every case is different, even at a high level of "what law(s) are you accused of breaking, in what county are you accused, and are you guilty?" When you get into the specifics of facts, alibi, your personal reputation should you have to take the stand, etc, your precise case has never been argued before and will need a unique defense.
bayesian_horse 7y ago
Any lawyer not overburdened by public defense cases should be an improvement.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
pc86 7y ago
For criminal defense, you want attorneys who used to work in the prosecutor's office. Top of the list is probably a partner, who used to be a DA in the same county they primarily practice in now, with 20+ years of total experience. But you're looking at mid-to-high 3 figures per hour. Really it boils down to experience, and how likely that person is to have a relationship with the prosecutors, judges, and clerks where you have a problem.
stronglikedan 7y ago
If you know who your judge will be, but you don't have a lawyer yet, just go sit in their courtroom for a while watching the defenders. You want the one that everyone from the state says hello to, and laughs and jokes with. Even better if they have the same type of rapport with the judge. Follow them out when they're finished, and ask them for their card. (reiterated from my other reply)
balls187 7y ago
If you are under a time crunch, it can be an issue. Sometimes you just need to hire someone who will do the basic leg work to buy you breathing room until you can find the right lawyer. Contact your local bar association, they almost always have referral services. Also in many jurisdictions you can find local advocacy groups that can provide referrals.

Get the best lawyer you can not afford How do you know which lawyer is good?

by TekMol 7y ago

Get the best lawyer you can not afford How do you know which lawyer is good?

Ask around, good lawyers typically have a reputation, as do bad ones. Just like with any other kind of specialist that you hire, years in the field, track record and references.

m0zg 7y ago
How do you "ask around" if you're in jail already, though?
- jacquesm 7y ago
  Good question, that's outside of my area of expertise, but my assumption would be that the justice system would at least allow you to communicate with your - prospective - lawyers. If not then it's a lost battle before it has begun.
  - Cougher 7y ago
    It didn't work out that way in my case. Prison/jail phone systems are a wreck. I wasn't able to contact my attorney and when I brought this up to the corrections officers, they said that I had no right to. Whether this was true or just the whim of guards who take inflicting abuse as a perk of the job, the end result was the same.
    - jacquesm 7y ago
      That's utterly disgusting.
    - m0zg 7y ago
      "Tell me, Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call when you are unable to speak?"
- csomar 7y ago
  A good idea is to keep a list of lawyers, attorneys and other "can-use" people handy. Having a close one have access to that list and your banking details can help as he'll make the calls.
- cookieswumchorr 7y ago
  Have friends/relatives you can depend on. It is almost the only way
- throwaway744678 7y ago
  It's probably the place where you'll find the highest concentration of people who had to deal with a lawyer! Perhaps the sample is biased towards people who dealt with a bad lawyer, though.
- throwaway_tech 7y ago
  Actually other inmates would be a great resource for an attorney referral. You could joke, or think common sense, would say you don't want the same lawyer as anyone who has been convicted...but the reality is even the best criminal defense lawyers will lose. You will be able to find people who have been charged with similar crimes or find convicts who have previously been charged with similar crimes and got off, but are in for something else now.
pc86 7y ago
"Asking around" is worthless as every case is different, even at a high level of "what law(s) are you accused of breaking, in what county are you accused, and are you guilty?" When you get into the specifics of facts, alibi, your personal reputation should you have to take the stand, etc, your precise case has never been argued before and will need a unique defense.

bayesian_horse 7y ago

Any lawyer not overburdened by public defense cases should be an improvement.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

pc86 7y ago

For criminal defense, you want attorneys who used to work in the prosecutor's office. Top of the list is probably a partner, who used to be a DA in the same county they primarily practice in now, with 20+ years of total experience. But you're looking at mid-to-high 3 figures per hour. Really it boils down to experience, and how likely that person is to have a relationship with the prosecutors, judges, and clerks where you have a problem.

stronglikedan 7y ago

If you know who your judge will be, but you don't have a lawyer yet, just go sit in their courtroom for a while watching the defenders. You want the one that everyone from the state says hello to, and laughs and jokes with. Even better if they have the same type of rapport with the judge. Follow them out when they're finished, and ask them for their card. (reiterated from my other reply)

balls187 7y ago

If you are under a time crunch, it can be an issue. Sometimes you just need to hire someone who will do the basic leg work to buy you breathing room until you can find the right lawyer. Contact your local bar association, they almost always have referral services. Also in many jurisdictions you can find local advocacy groups that can provide referrals.