Criminal Defense Attorney
Anyone who has been accused of committing a crime and brought into a court of law probably knows the importance of criminal defense attorneys. Being a criminal defense attorney can change day-to-day due to factors such as the client, case, and circumstances. The main goal of criminal defense lawyers is to reduce the negative consequences after the arrest and accusation of their clients. Working in facilities such as state or local courts of law, private offices and non-profit organizations, it is the criminal defense attorney’s job to represent their client, acting as the ears, brain and mouth during legal proceedings inside and outside a court of justice.
Criminal Defense Attorney Job Description
Other duties criminal defense attorneys are ethically and professionally required to do for their clients include:
- Considering all legal rights of the accused
- Do his or her best to reduce the charges against the client
- Always keep the clients best interest in mind
- Collect necessary data relevant to the case
- Present the evidence backing his or her client
- Obtain info from police officers, detectives, witnesses and other individuals related to the crime and/or case
- Provide legal advice to the client
- Investigate and research all possibilities in the case
- Conduct detailed interviews
- Carry out legal formalities on behalf of the client
- Guide the accused through all probation and/or parole periods
- Summarize the complete case to the jury
Criminal defense lawyers who know they’re client is guilty of the accusations must continue to represent their client ethically and professionally. Instead of trying to convince a jury to believe lies, the lawyer is obligated to either step down as representation of the client, or advise their client it may be best to try and settle out of court. Negotiation skills are essential to the success of any lawyer, especially criminal defense ones. In fact, most criminal cases don’t go to trial, instead they are settled by plea arrangement.
Criminal Defense Attorney Salary
Criminal defense attorney salaries vary due to factors such as location of employment and the type of facility in which one is employed. Salaries also depend on other factors such as the level of experience, public reputation and the type of client. For example, attorneys for organized crime members may or may not gain more recognition and/or pay simply because of their client.
Criminal defense lawyers who work in private firms average $79,000 per year, while self-employed criminal defense lawyers make an average of $95,000 per year. Success is also a key component to earning a higher salary. Criminal defense attorney’s who are known to win their cases majority of the time, can get away with charging higher fees. Public defenders can earn around $44,500 per year, while criminal defense lawyers working for non-profit organizations can earn up to $80,000 per year.
Job Outlook for Criminal Defense Attorneys
Thankfully, for criminal defense attorneys there is plenty of work headed their way. Unfortunately crime will continue to occur throughout the nation, and just like the rest of us, criminals have the same rights and deserve to be treated fairly in the court of law, regardless of the crime in which they are accused. Criminal defense attorneys may go on to become public defenders or even district attorneys. They also have the same options as other types of lawyers, in which they can either work in a large or small law firm, open their own practice or work for a non-profit organization. According to the BLS, the job growth for lawyers is only expected to grow 13% throughout the year 2018. But as growth in populations and crime cases continues to rise, so does the job outlook for criminal defense attorneys.
