The Huffington Post recently had an article on the site titled “How to Find the Best DUI Lawyer By Yourself“. The article doesn’t contain a whole lot of information, but I agree with its basic prescription for finding the best DUI attorney: Search, Research, Interview and Hire.
That is, first you need to gather the names of attorneys known for handling DUI cases in the jurisdiction in which you are charged. Once you have some idea of who the main players are, you should do your own research on those lawyers. Most importantly, you should arrange to meet in person with the lawyer and see what his or her approach will be. You should be able to gauge the attorney’s level of enthusiasm, compassion, ability to communicate and authenticity in a face to face meeting. Once you have met with the lawyers you are interested in you need to hire whoever it is that you feel the strongest about.
My experience with people who are recently charged with a DUI is that they are often extremely anxious and/or depressed. However, once they have hired the best DUI attorney that they can find for their case and in the relevant jurisdiction, they feel a whole lot better. At that point, whatever has happened has happened with respect to the DUI and, if they make a good decision about hiring a qualified lawyer that they have confidence in, they have done all that they can do to make the best of a bad situation.
In the Kansas DUI Manual, available for download free on our website (pdf), there is a chapter on how to hire a DUI attorney for a case in Kansas, although the information is relevant for a case in any state. It expands on these same ideas and has some more do’s and don’ts for trying to find a DUI lawyer on your own.