Choose the Right Lawyer for Your Criminal Case

Guerrilla Guide to Hiring a Lawyer

I am often surprised by the questions I’m asked during initial consultations. Some people that come in have clearly done some research and are doing their best to vet me as an attorney. Unfortunately, often people are asking all of the wrong questions. This is likely do to the information people find on the internet related to choosing a lawyer. So, I reviewed the sites that Google chooses as the top results for “how to choose the best lawyer.” Many of the articles and checklists provided just don’t work for finding the best criminal defense lawyer. Criminal defense is definitely a very different animal from personal injury or estate planning. I have decided to undertake combing through many of the online resources out there and offering an explanation of what they have right or wrong. I will also provide some of my own insight into:

• What a person facing criminal charges should look for in a good lawyer
• Methods for identifying the pool of the best lawyers for criminal defense;
• How to research individual lawyers; and
• Questions you should ask when interviewing prospective lawyers.

I will post bits on my blog and link back to pages with more information. The posts will point back to the resources I have referenced. Where I can, I’ll try to break it down into simple checklists or PDF forms that you can use when selecting a criminal defense attorney. The discussion will be limited to finding a criminal lawyer in Texas, but I will use resources from around the country. Stay tuned for more information.
The top search results on Google for “How to choose a lawyer” currently include:

• Nolo: Law for All
• The Denver Bar Association
• Investopedia
• The State Bar of California
• The State Bar of Georgia
• Massachusettes Bar Association
• FindLaw: Choosing the Right Lawyer
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Legal Law Help

Some of these sources would surely be screened out by someone looking for a criminal defense lawyer in Texas. So, we will refine our search and look at some other resources through the course of this series. If there are specific questions or advice you would like to ask or share, please email me: ccofer@coferlaw.com.