When you hire a criminal defense attorney, you want to make sure that you hire the best attorney for your case. You want to hire someone who has experience with your type of case. Although you can always ask any criminal defense attorney you interview about their experience, the best way to verify their claims is by doing your own background check.
Contact The Local Bar Association
In order to practice law, all lawyers have to pass what is commonly referred to as "the bar", which is essentially the licenses exam one must pass in order to become a lawyer. Each state issues its own bar examination. After one passes their bar exam, they become part of your state's bar association.
Your state's bar association keeps track of information about all of its attorneys. If you have a particular attorney you want to hire, you can contact your state's bar association, and ask if they have any information on file about the attorney you are interested in hiring.
If any previous clients have filed complaints against the attorney you are interested in hiring, the state's bar association should have that information on file. If any disciplinary actions have been taken against the attorney you are interested in hiring, those will be on file with your state's bar association as well.
Contact The Local Courthouse
See what local courthouses your criminal defense attorney has worked with. Ask them for a list so you can do further research.
If you want to check up on your criminal defense attorney's record, go down to your local courthouse. You can put in an open records request. You should be able to get information about any cases your attorney has worked on as either a public defender or as a court-appointed lawyer.
You can also put in a request at the courthouse for a list of cases from the past couple of months where the attorney you are interested in has represented a defendant. You may even be able to view this information online. You can crosscheck this list against the information your defense attorney provided you with.
If you are facing criminal charges, you want to make sure you hire a personal injury lawyer who has experience with your types of cases, and understands the local court systems. Make sure you look into the background of any criminal defense attorney you are interested in hiring. If any complaints have been filed against them or disciplinary actions taken, your state bar should be able to provide you with that information. Your local courthouse should be able to provide you with information about recent cases. Check all of this information against what the attorney you are interested in hiring told you. If they don't have the experience you are looking for, keep up your search.
Share14 April 2015
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