What A Felony Attorney Does For Clients

A felony attorney works for either the public defender's office or for his or her own firm and represents clients who have been charged with serious crimes. In most criminal cases, the prosecution will attempt to prove its case to the jury, while the defense lawyer works to undermine this argument. This may involve actively putting on evidence to the contrary, or it may simply mean cross-examining state witnesses and presenting an alternative argument to the jury. It is, of course, not always the end goal to "get the defendant off". Many lawyers specialize in plea bargains and other methods of protecting their client's rights.

Working for the Government

The general public has a concept of all lawyers being rich, but this is far from the case. A felony attorney who works for the government in the public defender's office is unlikely to make much more than a respectable salary for his or her efforts. That said, he or she might work twice as hard as someone who runs his or her own practice or works in the private sector. Unlike those lawyers, this professional has no choice as to the cases he or she takes or refuses. And he or she doesn't get paid more for taking one case over another. In many instances, the public defense lawyer is overloaded with cases, but still must do his or her best to see that every client gets a fair trial.

Private Lawyers

If you want to make millions of dollars in the legal field, few would recommend becoming a felony attorney. While there are certainly examples of criminal lawyers who have become very wealthy, it isn't exactly ambulance chasing. Even those people who can afford to hire a private lawyer don't necessarily have a lot of money to throw away on a defense. This means that these lawyers cannot afford to charge exorbitant sums for their services. For a respectable fee, however, they will be expected to represent their clients, show up to court, and build a proper defense.

Tasks

Whether working for the government or in private practice, a felony attorney is supposed to be an advocate for their client. Questions of guilt or innocence matter inside the courtroom, but they have little effect on a good lawyer's job. The attorney's tasks include crafting a powerful opening and closing argument, interviewing witnesses, preparing the client to testify (if that course of action is decided upon), drafting briefs, and researching case law that can help the case. His or her job is to protect the client's rights, and it is this job that makes the justice system work.

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