As I embark on a new phase of my career (ie self-employment), I think my very first blog post should let everyone know why exactly I love being a criminal defense attorney.
Every attorney has their own reasons. Here are mine.
Something New Every Day
Going into law school, I thought I wanted to pursue sports law and be a sports agent. It made sense. I love sports and DFW has so many great teams. The summer in between my 1L and 2L year I needed an internship. After my first one fell through because I could not afford to live in DC on a salary of “experience,” I came home for the summer. Thankfully the local Dallas Public Defender’s Office was willing to take me on. There I was able to follow around a felony attorney every single day. It was amazing; I learned so much. I will never forget what one of the attorneys at the office told me “You may not make the most money in criminal defense, but you will have the best stories.” After that summer, I was hooked. I wanted to be a criminal defense attorney.
More than ten years later that quote has borne out as true. So many lawyers are chained to their desks reading contracts or answering phones. Not me. I’m in court almost every day. I get to travel around this great state and practice in whatever county I want to. I get to go to the scene of the crimes and do my own investigations.
One day a few years ago, I was in municipal court for a speeding ticket and that afternoon I was meeting with a client who committed murder. I get the full spectrum. It really is an exciting job. What we say in the office “they don’t make tv shows about transactional attorneys.”
Protecting Our Freedoms
Growing up, my favorite subject in school was always American History. I loved learning about the formation of our nation and how it became what it is today. The founding document of our country guarantees certain freedoms and protections from the government. During my jury trial voir dires, I like to remind the panel how important our Founding Fathers thought safeguards against government intrusion and protection for the citizen accused were. It is written into our Bill of Rights. The Constitution may not have even been ratified if these protections were not given.
Just because we have these protections and freedoms, does not mean the government does not try and take them away. It is up to the criminal defense attorney to push against the government to stop overreach. If you think about some of our rights and freedoms that are so ubiquitous now, there probably a criminal defense attorney at some point who had to fight in the courtroom to get those rights.
Helping Those in Need
Every summer growing up, I would go on a mission trip with my church youth group. On these trips, we would help people who either lost everything or who did not have anything to begin with. At a young age, I was instilled with the belief to be grateful for what I had and to help those who had less than me.
The facts of most cases run together. The thing that I will never forget is how I can make a client feel. Truly the best part of this job is helping another human being. Getting to tell someone that they are going home today and seeing the smile cross their face is why I do the job.
Clients that give me a sweaty handshake after working out a deal for them or a giant bear hug after a not guilty is the reason why I do this job.
A significant portion of people caught in the criminal justice system struggle with either their mental health or an addiction of some sort. I have seen people close to me deal with these kinds of issues. Not every person accused of a crime is a bad person. I believe it is my job to see the good in everyone and help them get their life back on track.
Ultimately, I think the reasons that I do this job is something that everyone can agree with. Every single person deserves a fair defense with a process that is also fair. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying the job along the way.
And like I also tell everyone that I meet at parties, “I hope you never need me but if you do, you’ll get one hell of a defense.”
