There are lots of lawyers in America. Some people would say -- and I
wouldn't disagree -- that there are way too many. There are:
- Lawyers who write contracts (transactional lawyers)
- Lawyers who write wills (estate lawyers)
- Lawyers who handle divorces (family lawyers)
- Lawyers who sue insurance companies (plaintiffs' lawyers), and
- Lawyers who defend insurance companies (insurance defense lawyers)
to name just a few. There are lawyers who do two or
more of these things, and there are lawyers who would do any of them
to make a buck.
There is nothing wrong with being a general practitioner.
Robert Heinlein said "specialization is for insects." Lawyers
in lots of smaller communities couldn't make a living without practicing
in several different areas of law. The typical small-town lawyer will
have clients who call on him for all of their legal needs.
Even in the big cities, lawyers combine their practices.
Family law and criminal law are two areas that feed on each other. Criminal
law and injury law are as well. Criminal lawyers, family lawyers, and
injury lawyers are all courtroom lawyers who represent people (instead
of governments or corporations). Picking a jury, cross-examining witnesses,
making a closing argument -- these skills are applicable in civil court
as well as criminal court. Some of the greatest criminal lawyers in
America represent injured people in civil court as well.
When I was starting my practice, I took some divorce
cases. I stopped handling divorces as soon as I could because they were
no fun, and far too stressful. I also took injury cases -- some of my
trial experience comes from seeking justice in civil court for injured
people.
A lawyer practicing in criminal court should practice
in criminal court a lot. It's hard to be a really good criminal defense
lawyer without constantly honing your skills in criminal court and increasing
your knowledge of the criminal law.
The bottom line, in my opinion, is that it might
be okay for a criminal lawyer to dabble in civil court, but it's not
okay for a civil lawyer to dabble in criminal court. There is too much
at stake. If people are going to be putting their freedom and their
lives into a lawyer's hands, protecting them should be his first priority.
If you are seeking representation for yourself or a
loved one, please give some consideration to finding a lawyer who is
focused on the defense of criminal cases, rather than one who takes
whatever kind of case drifts his way.
--
Mark.
This page is a work in progress. If you'd like to discuss
criminal lawyers, please contact
me
