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Who is the Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charlotte?
The practice of law has changed in the last 25 years. Once, people hired a lawyer based on relationships and personal recommendations from people they knew, not strangers.
If you got arrested or received a traffic ticket, you’d ask friends and family about lawyers.
That’s because you valued the source of those opinions. It wasn't some random person online. That’s why you asked their opinion in the first place. You knew, and trusted, what they had to say.
Your “family attorney” also may have lived just down the street or coached your local team. Maybe you went to church with a lawyer or your parents hired an attorney to write a will or help do a closing on a home.
That was especially true in smaller towns, where many if not most lawyers were considered “general practitioners.”
You knew them and they knew you, if only in passing. You’d say “hey” to them in the store and around town.
Small town attorneys did a little bit of everything, whether it included negotiating a fair settlement after an accident, to handling a beloved grandparent’s estate after they passed.
Times have changed a lot since then, both in the perception of lawyers and the legal system as a whole. In the past, most people understood the utility of retaining legal counsel.
Handling legal matters was important enough that you trusted a licensed attorney because, well, they went to law school for that and lawyers are licensed to practice law.
If you needed surgery, you saw a doctor. If you had legal troubles, you saw an attorney.
While, like now, you could always could serve as your own attorney in North Carolina, there was a famous saying (supposedly by Abraham Lincoln) regarding criminal trials.
The adage remains to this day that a person (even an attorney) who represents himself in court, “Has a fool for a client.”
In the era of DIY “do it yourself” for just about everything nowadays, people facing legal issues all too often assume they can look something up on the internet and handle it. Sometimes that works. Other times, not so much.
There’s No Such Thing as a “Best Lawyer”“As attorneys, we spend a tremendous amount of time correcting a lot incorrect information out there from sources who have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.”
– Bill Powers
While questions abound online about “best lawyers,” we firmly believe there really is no such thing. “Who is the best defense attorney in Charlotte?” you may ask.
Our answer is: There isn’t one. There are a lot of very good attorneys in Charlotte, North Carolina.
While we’d be honored to talk to you about your legal issue and share our qualifications, it’s important you take your time and carefully consider any decision you make about legal representation.
Weigh your options. Consider the cost of legal fees relative to the level of training and experience of the attorney. Don’t just look at the number of reviews.
See what people say about lawyers… and what the attorneys say back. What rings true, based on your life experiences and common sense? Is it applicable to your individual needs or goals? Is it at all related to your type of legal matter or case?
Determining what’s “best” of anything in life is largely a matter of personal preference and subjective opinion. That’s as true for criminal defense attorneys as it is for ice cream flavors.
Think to yourself, who is the best dentist in Charlotte? Who is the best car dealer in Mecklenburg County? Who is the best doctor? What’s the best type of barbecue, eastern or western NC? And why?
Would your best friend agree with you 100% on those answers?
What someone else may think is best, especially someone you don’t know, really isn’t all that helpful.
Don’t just trust Google and local search results that may have more to do with what cell-phone tower you’re near than anything else.
Dig deeper. Do your homework. Ask questions. Check out the attorney’s reputation in the legal community.
- What professional accolades have they received?
- Are they known and trusted in the legal profession?
- Do they publish legal materials?
- Do they teach Continuing Legal Education?
- Why do they practice law?
- Do they serve in leadership roles in the legal profession?
- Are they active in the administration of justice?
- How long have they practiced law?
Lawyers are subject to the same frailties of being human as every other person you know. We have relative strengths and weaknesses. We’re better at some things and maybe worse at others.
“After more than 26 years of courtroom experience, I understand how to try a case and get the nuances of practicing law. If you need to know how to frame out a window or drive an 18-wheeler, I’m not your guy.”
– Bill Powers
As the criminal laws have developed, more-and-more attorneys have chosen to seek “specialty certification” for certain practice areas. For example, you may have heard an attorney refer to themselves as a “board certified specialist.”
What is the National Board of Trial Advocacy Specialty Certification?
Frankly, some of that is a matter of personal preference. You probably have things you like doing at work more than others. That’s true for lawyers too.
There is another reason why attorneys “specialize.” The law has gotten pretty complicated.
Obtaining certification represents a dedication to an area of practice, involving substantial experience handling such matters. It also exemplifies a positive reputation in the legal community.
Specialization requires professional letters of recommendation from judges and other lawyers familiar with that attorney’s professional accomplishments.
It also requires passing a pretty tough certification exam.
Call Bill Powers – National Board of Trial Advocacy Criminal Law Specialist- Former President of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Practicing Law in NC since 1992
- Experienced Courtroom Advocate
- Regular Continuing Legal Education Seminar Chair, Host, and Instructor
- Background Info on Bill Powers
