What are some qualities a defense attorney should possess? If you need a good defense attorney, you should know a little bit about the job they do. It’s not all bark and bite like you might see on television programs. It doesn’t hurt, however, if your defense attorney has some aggressiveness, the pit bull tenacity. They need to know how to deal with some of the shady characters of the world, and sometimes disgusting facts, especially if it is a criminal case defense.
For the criminal defendant, some qualities a defense attorney should possess are an extraordinary ability to investigate the crime, to cover all clues and tracks, to uncover every rock where some unfound evidence may lie in wait. They need to be able to negotiate not only with the prosecutor and court personnel, but with any witnesses for the defense that may need to be cajoled and coerced into testifying. They need to be able to find cracks in the prosecution witnesses testimony, to prove the question of doubt so important to acquittals.
The Los Angeles defense attorney should have a good resume of successful cases in the practice area needed. You go to a specialist in auto accidents for that, not for defamation or fraud. Obviously, legal credentials are important, as are the background and status of their firm members. If a life is at stake, you want a previously successful, experienced criminal defense lawyer, the best you can get. Depending on the case and people involved, the chosen attorney may be very well known, expert, and flashy, like Johnnie Cochran in the famous murder trial of O.J. Simpson. Most ordinary people neither need that status of attorney, nor could they afford them.
Perhaps the most important of qualities a defense attorney should possess is a total dedication to proving innocence. Even when they know someone is guilty, either by admission or evidence, they must always work towards the goal of proving innocence. Tenacity, overcoming adversity, skill in the practice area, resource availability, “thinking out of the box“, poise, and determination are prime qualities a defense attorney should possess.