People take the defense attorneys for granted, which is why it is rather considered one of the most under-appreciated jobs in the legal profession. However, the only thing standing between a harsh sentence and proving innocence in a criminal hearing is a good defense attorney. It means, if you’re innocent and someone has accused you of a crime, wrongfully, all you need is a good attorney to represent your case.

That being the case, it is imperative that you know how to identify and differentiate a good defense attorney from the rest. And this article is about finding the right one, and many more things.

So, without any further ado, here are the top 7 characteristics of a defense attorney, that can improve your winning chances.

• Client-attorney bond irrespective of the crime

It is quite obvious that lawyers do not emotionally attach with their clients, primarily not to let their emotions come in the way of their duties. Despite the fact, they still believe that bonding with the clients can help them gain an edge during the case proceedings. In other words, when you’re looking for a prospective defense attorney, you should assess how well they bond with their clients. It’s quite easy. You can start with the way they communicate and how comfortable they are explaining the possible scenarios for your case. Likewise, you can also enquire with their former clients. And surprisingly, there’s a catch here- when you ask your attorney to help you connect with their former clients, the really good ones won’t hesitate. And so, you would know what kind of bonding you have with your attorney.

• In-depth background research on the jurors

More common than analysing the case, both attorneys, the prosecution and the defense, pay close attention to the jury members. The art of examining a potential juror, commonly known as voir dire, is an important part of a good attorney’s portfolio. Perhaps, as the experts at https://www.fighterlaw.com/ explain, running a deep background research on the jurors not only helps prepare the case, but also prepare for the worst possibilities. As they continue to say, “jurors already have their biases and pretty much a clear mindset to convict.” Indeed, it makes a lot more sense to have an unbiased and understanding jury panel than having someone who has strong feelings against crimes, irrespective of the judgement.

• They study jurors’ body language during the case proceedings

One of the secrets that many attorney’s don’t usually reveal is the fact that they pay more attention to the jury’s body language than what they say. Let’s give you an example to put this into perspective. A jury member who smiles or laughs at an attorney’s jokes is more likely to favour him/her. Likewise, a juror who rolls his eyes away, won’t be easily swayed by the attorney. If the attorneys already know which ones are likely to favour them and which ones they need to convince, their task in the courtroom becomes a lot easier.

• They don’t really move around that much in the court

Contrary to the commonly televised behaviour of the lawyers, they don’t really move around that much in the courtroom. Most of the time, a judge won’t allow them to do so, and in other cases, the attorney’s prefer it by themselves. In fact, they usually question, argue, and even present their evidence sitting behind the counsel’s table.

• Offering client makeover is a common thing

Many of the clients to a criminal defense attorney are stressed out and frustrated people. Often they lack a sense of aesthetics, which is why the attorney’s usually offer them a makeover. Well, offering a makeover has nothing to do with the aesthetic illusion, but instead showing respect to the system. For example, if someone comes in with an overgrown beard, a torn jean, or a slacky t-shirt, the attorney would usually buy them a nice trouser and a button down shirt, and also get them a haircut. Surprisingly, this practice is getting a lot more common in the legal arena.

• Innocent defendants make up more difficult cases

One of the most fascinating features of a good lawyer is their nag for taking up a difficult case. Particularly, the criminal defense attorneys like it when there’s a catch to the case. For example, if a defendant has been wrongfully accused of murder or sexual crimes, the defense attorneys usually would take up their case. In fact, a renowned criminal defense attorney once said that an innocent defendant makes up for a more difficult case, and has more appeal to it.

• Public defendants earn a really bad reputation

It is not at all surprising and in fact, has already been mentioned as well- the public defense attorneys have a really bad rep in the market. Primarily, this is because of the fact that these attorneys take up cases and fight for their clients, if they consciously know that they are at-fault. However, this has nothing to do with the attorneys being wrong or committing a wrong deed. Perhaps, helping out their clients is their duty and they are simply fulfilling it.

A good attorney would not just help you out of a wrong case, but also protect your reputation in the society. There is, undoubtedly, a social stigma attached to being accused of a crime, even though you’re innocent. Therefore, it makes for a wise decision to hire only the best defense attorney.

And now that you know what characteristics must a good attorney possess, you may find it easy to hire one. Just make sure that you consider other factors along as well. For example, you should check their license, look for recommendations from the court, your family and your friends, and also keep a check on your budget. Quite commonly, people although escape a wrongful case, but end up indebted to their necks. You wouldn’t want to end up like that. And for this reason, you must be careful with your expenses in lawyer fees as well as bail costs, and settlement fines (if any).