I was at a trial advocacy training class this past weekend learning to become a better trail attorney through the use of better voir dire techniques, better opening statement techniques, and better case preparation techniques. I was in a room full of criminal attorneys, and it was an amazing group of people.
Each of these criminal lawyers was there for one reason - they see a lot of trials in their future and they want to get as good as they can at advocating during a trial. They took time away from their jobs and practices to do this, and they gave up most of their Saturday (which just happened to be the first beautiful Saturday in Seattle in about 6 weeks. But we all learned something. And we'll all be better trial lawyers because of it.
One of the great things I heard while I was there was a comparison between the two different types of criminal defense attorneys out there. The first is who I see myself as as a criminal lawyer. I am a trial attorney. I work hard for my clients. And if the state's offer sucks or my client doesn't want to take it, then we go to trial. This is the type of person you want on your team if you are in trouble.
The second type of criminal attorney is the travel agent. As the name implies, this type of criminal lawyer is simply there to escort you through the process, from criminal charge to jail time. They aren't interested in trials. They aren't interested in working up your case the way it needs to be worked up to give you the best chance of winning.
If you ever find yourself in trouble, make sure you hire a trial attorney and not a travel agent. It can mean the difference between a bad outcome and a great outcome.
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