When I went through my own criminal case in court, it was probably the scariest time I can remember. The evidence I had to present was in my favor for complete dismissal of the charges, but without my lawyer, I probably wouldn’t have won my case. What’s even scarier is when you’ve got these charges to face in front of a jury and judge and you don’t know which lawyer to choose; one you can trust to do the best possible job. With the proper guidance, you can make a well-informed decision and get winning results.
I found my attorney online, which many people do these days. Responding to TV ads or by opening up your Yellow Pages book are not the recommended methods anymore. Sure, these types of ads can help you know who is in your area and what they specialize in, but you need to know more. You should get online to a search engine; I like Google. Then, search by type of attorney and location. Since I am in the San Diego area, I chose to search by “criminal defense attorney San Diego” as well as “criminal defense San Diego” and got great results both times.
Once you have found several lawyers’ web sites, click into each of them and see what they say about themselves. Successful firms will proudly display their wins in court and provide you with actual sample cases they’ve won so you can see an overview of what type of case it was and how it was won. Their web site should include positive comments from actual clients (whose names may be changed for their own privacy). Details should be evident that give you assurance that they pay attention to the specifics of each case, treat each client as if they are their only client, and offer several sources of positive feedback.
A proven track record can also be obtained through public records available at the attorney’s Bar Association. You can either call or go down to the Bar Association’s office and ask for a report on any attorney. This is because each attorney reports their cases after each is completed. These statistics can prove invaluable if it depends on you winning your case or not. They usually will include any bad marks against an attorney in the report you acquire.
If you feel that you need even more information about someone’s record of success, there are other online resources that you can take advantage of. First, you can do a search by attorney and area like I did (“criminal defense attorney San Diego” and also “criminal defense San Diego”). Next, add the words “peer reviews” to your keyword phrase as well as “client reviews” to see what others are saying about them. Only through well-rounded research of a lawyer will you find someone who has a proven track record in court and who has the web site, clients, and the Bar Association to back up their claims of success.
One such web site and law firm that I came across is the Nimmo Law Group. They have won awards for their successful record in the courtroom and proudly report on case histories, case results, and provide a detailed list of links to each of the 11-plus areas they specialize in. If you need excellent representation and are in the San Diego area, visit their web site to get a full picture of what they are doing for clients like you every day.