It's true I've never been one to answer to others, and I have my own way of doing things. If there's a snowstorm I'd rather be the one at the steering wheel, even if there's an expert driver sitting right next to me. It's just my personal preference not to delegate. I've really run my own show, even when I was in the Public Defender's Office. I guess I have a bit of a combative personality - But I know that's helped make me a more effective lawyer. When people talk to me for the first time, they want to know what their jeopardy is, what possible penalties they are facing. I'll always be straightforward, but I try not to rob people of their hopeful spirit before the process even starts. Most people don't expect they'll ever need a criminal-defense attorney - until of course something happens. I keep a relatively low profile - I'm not one of those attorneys who gives interviews on the courthouse steps. I just don't like to try cases in the press.
One of the more troubling questions people often ask is, "What's your batting average?" I think it's difficult to measure success in terms of numbers. If you are going to use a baseball analogy, I think you should take Babe Ruth: He performed head and shoulders above his peers. The real question is how does your performance compare to others now? If you are getting the same result as everyone else, then how effective are you? The successful attorney does better on the average with what he has. That, over the long haul, is a valid measure of achievement.
Certainly criminal-defense attorneys are trying fewer cases now than before. That's part of a systemic change, because today prosecutors make their best offer early in the process. And plea cutoffs - that is, court-imposed deadlines for accepting plea agreements - and mandatory penalties are pushing the stakes of going to trial even higher. When I started my own practice 23 years ago I didn't know where my cases would come from. I know a lot of people wouldn't have done that, but I had confidence in my skills and I knew I had a solid reputation. And it's all been very rewarding. Sometimes we are really saving lives, and that's very, very satisfying.
