Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers are one of the most vital pieces to a successful defense at trial. Experienced criminal attorneys have statistics that show that their clients go on to win 90% or more cases, so choosing one is a step you should definitely not skip. Most people don’t know what to look for when choosing a criminal defense lawyer in PA, though.
Criminal lawyers are important parts of the justice system. They play a vital role in helping protect the rights and freedoms of us, the people. When it comes to choosing one that is right for you, there are lots of things to consider. You must ensure that they have the necessary experience, education, and commitment to their job that are needed. In addition, you’ll want to choose an attorney that has experience defending similar cases in the past and won their cases or at least got them reduced to minor charges.
Here are some important factors to consider when choosing a criminal defense lawyer in Pennsylvania.
- Experience and expertise
The most important factor to consider in choosing a criminal defense lawyer is experience. You want to find an attorney that has been practicing criminal law for many years and has experience and success defending similar cases. The best way to do this is to look at their website or business card. Make sure you choose an attorney that mentions their successful past cases on their website and is proud of them as they should be.
- Work history and success rate
Don’t choose an attorney for the wrong reason. When choosing a lawyer, you want to choose one who has the right personality and work ethic. Sometimes, this means that they have the best results at trial or they are super-thorough in their investigation before going to court. You will likely see this on their website if they are proud of their success rate or list it after their biography.
- Accessibility
Since you will be speaking with your attorney quite a bit, it’s important to choose one that is easy to get in touch with. You don’t want to wait weeks for an email back or a phone call and you don’t want them to be hard to schedule an appointment with. Make sure they have lots of ways of contacting them on the webpage, like phone numbers and email addresses, so you can reach out easily.
- Are they licensed?
You also want an experienced lawyer but one that is licensed as well, especially if you are going to be paying them for their services! Make sure that the attorney you choose is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and has taken all of the necessary courses and passed all of the required exams in order to get their license. The state requires this for obvious reasons!