Philadelphia Defense Lawyer Rolls The Dice At The Beginning Of Each Trial
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for lawyers is over $100,000 annually, and the job outlook projects a growth of 10 percent by 2022. Hope C. Lefeber, of Law Offices of Hope Lefeber, has over 30 years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer. She specializes in white-collar crimes such as mail fraud, money laundering and insurance and tax fraud. Lefeber shares the educational process it takes to become a criminal defense lawyer.
What education is needed to secure a good job as a criminal defense lawyer?
"In order to be an attorney, four years of college and three years of law school is required to obtain a J.D. degree. In addition, it is necessary to pass a state bar exam."
What is the most challenging aspect of being a criminal defense attorney?
"The most challenging aspect of being a criminal defense attorney is achieving justice for people who have been charged with crimes. Too often prosecutors have biased, inflated notions of the criminality of certain conduct and seek punishments which are unjust. It is extremely challenging to balance the desire to take cases to trial by jury to achieve an acquittal, versus accepting a plea agreement to minimize the risk upon conviction. This is an extremely difficult roll of the dice with serious consequences."
After graduation, how hard was it to transition to the actual working world?
"For me, the transition was a welcome one. After so many years of education, it was exciting to be out in the world and making a difference in people's lives."
What are some advanced courses that you would suggest?
"The most beneficial advanced courses to take for a criminal defense lawyer would be Evidence, Federal Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Legal Writing and Trial Advocacy."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.