There are a lot of attorneys out there. It can be very confusing when choosing a lawyer to defend your DUI case. This is an important choice so you should take your time to make an educated decision.

Some of the lawyers you will come across have obvious red flags which should cause you to RUN. Unfortunately, most clients don't know they are paying for a bad attorney until it is too late. At that point, there is normally significant damage done to their case. In this series, we will highlight 10 things you will probably hear from attorneys that should make you RUN.

“I'm the best DUI lawyer! I'm an expert. Just look at all of my awards!”

A lot of the awards you see on attorney websites are, frankly, marketing gimmicks. The awards range from “Distinguished” lawyers to “Top 10” lawyers. There seems to be new awards popping up every day. Lawyers pay to buy these awards. This is pure marketing and has nothing to do with the quality of work that these lawyers put forth.

There are literally dozens of companies which have the sole purpose of selling these awards to lawyers so that they can advertise them on their websites. They are completely meaningless.

If you really want to know about the quality of a DUI attorney, there are a few questions you can ask them:

• Ask them if they have authored any books on DUI law. Marketing materials for clients don't count. These should be books that other lawyers use to learn the law.
• Ask them if they have lectured about DUI law and if so where. If your attorney has been invited to teach other lawyers about DUI law then this is a good indication that they have in depth knowledge and are respected by their peers.
• Ask them when was the last time they took a DUI case to trial. Many attorneys never take a case to trial and force their clients to accept bad plea deals just so they do not have to put in the time and effort.

These are the questions you should be asking. Recognition in legal circles and courtroom experience are far more important than a random badge that an attorney paid to get.

If you would like to speak to a professional, widely respected attorney, please call Attorney Mike Sherman at 412-471-5000.