Applying for Jobs with a Criminal Record: Know Your Rights
3 Key Tips When Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney
Michelle Garrett
If you've found yourself facing a criminal charge, it's important to hire a criminal defense attorney. This trained professional can compile evidence and do everything they can to lessen or remove your charges. For this to happen, though, you need to take these steps when hiring one of these defense attorneys.
1. Focus on Experience
When criminal defense attorneys first start out, their legal fees may be more affordable as they're trying to build up their legal practice. However, they probably don't have enough experience to competently handle every dilemma you'll face in court.
A better approach is to hire a criminal defense attorney who has decades of experience, even if that means paying more. You'll have access to better resources and your attorney can adequately build your defense case, based on the hundreds of cases they've tried in the past.
2. Consider Hiring a Team
The traditional way of dealing with a criminal defense charge is hiring just one lawyer. Although this is perfectly okay for smaller crimes, such as assault, you may need help from a team of professionals if the crime you allegedly committed is serious.
Look for law firms that employ multiple criminal defense attorneys to handle your case. Multiple heads are better than one in terms of building a solid defense, and multiple lawyers can actually speed up this process. Your paperwork will be handled efficiently, and so will evidence collection and witness interviews.
3. Remember the First Impression
The first impression you have with a particular criminal defense attorney is everything in terms of getting competent legal representation. Ideally, you want the first impression to be stress-free and enlightening.
Start with seeing how the law firm responds when you first call in. Are you put on hold or do you get a response in the matter of seconds? These small details can really tell you a lot about how a particular law practice is run on a daily basis.
When you first talk to a criminal defense attorney, pay attention to their tone and overall interest in your case. You want someone fully invested who keeps their lines of communication open, even when you need to ask a question or gain some direction at an inconvenient time.
Criminal charges can be serious, so it's absolutely essential that you seek the correct legal representation. Try finding a criminal defense attorney who's committed, experienced, and gives you a good vibe during the first meeting/consultation.
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I'll be up front: I have a criminal record. As someone who's spent lots--and lots--of time looking for a job in my life, I've gotten used to being up front with this fact. It's difficult to get hired with this on my record, and frankly, it never gets less scary to have to tell an interviewer about it. But that doesn't mean I'm unemployable. I'm a hard worker who can bring a lot to any company. And I also know what an employer needs to do for me. I know my rights. There's no federal law protecting me from discrimination due to my record, but there are plenty of state laws that make it a little easier for me. If you're looking for a job and you have a criminal record, read through this information. Protect yourself during a job search. Know your rights.