Qualifications for Becoming a DUI Lawyer
Posted by guestcontributor on Oct 22, 2011 in Uncategorized | Comments Off
When you receive a DUI, whether deservedly or not, you may be interested in going to court to fight the charge in an attempt to keep it off your permanent record. And since you may not feel comfortable with the procedure involved in fighting such a ticket, you’ll almost certainly want to find a qualified attorney to represent you (especially since it is a lot easier to fight a ticket than it is to overturn a conviction in a case like this). However, you might be asking yourself just exactly what qualifies one to be a good DUI lawyer. Here’s what you’ll want to look for.
For starters, DUI laws are different in every state, although many follow the federal laws concerning blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and how it is used to determine the severity of the ticket (whether it’s a DUI or DWI, for example). This doesn’t necessarily change the qualifications for becoming a DUI lawyer, specifically, though. In truth, attorneys who wish to practice this type of law have to meet pretty much the same standards as any other practicing lawyer; which is to say they must generally obtain a 4-year degree (bachelor’s), followed by three years of law school, and they must also pass the written bar for your state in order to practice there (although some states that are in close proximity have a bar exam that, once passed, allows for practice in any of the states involved).
While this qualifies any attorney to practice, it doesn’t mean you want to hire just any lawyer to represent you in a DUI case. You want someone who is well versed in the laws surrounding DUI charges, for one thing. The best case scenario would be to find a trustworthy source for referral, so if you happen to have any friends or family who dealt with a similar situation, perhaps they can point you towards a reliable attorney. If not, you’re going to have to do some research to find a lawyer that specializes in DUI cases.
You don’t want to resort to thumbing through the yellow pages, though, so if you can’t get a reference from someone you know you might consider going to a local law library or calling the bar association – each of these sources should be able to provide you with lists of approved attorneys for any number of purposes. From there you should approach several offices to ask questions. Not only do you need to find an attorney that you’re comfortable with, you should also find out what kind of track record they have since a poor one won’t exactly inspire confidence. You certainly want to obtain the services of a lawyer who has a record of winning cases like yours. And you’ll also want to secure an attorney that you can afford.
Although there are no specific qualifications required for lawyers who want to take DUI cases (as opposed to other types of cases), you’ll definitely want to hire someone who has the knowledge and experience to handle your case, as well as a long list of wins. In short, you want the lawyer that will give you the best chance possible to come out without a DUI conviction on your record.
Jennifer Lewis writes for NJ DUI Attorney, a New Jersey DWI defense law firm (www.nj-dmv-dwi.com).