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Criminal Defense Attorney Job Description

Stephen Rampur
The role of a criminal defense attorney includes tasks related to trying to free the accused from the charges that have been put on him. Read on to know more about the work they do.
The importance of a criminal defense attorneys is very well-known to people who have been dragged into the court of law and accused of committing crimes. Their primary objective is to reduce the negative consequences after the arrest and accusation of their client.
The activities of lawyers may vary according to factors such as the client, case, and circumstances. They work in state or local courts of law, private law firms or offices, and even nonprofit organizations. They receive a fixed amount for getting the accused freed from the charges.

Duties and Responsibilities

A criminal defense attorney acts like the brain, ears, and mouth of the defendant in carrying out the legal proceedings in a court. He speaks on behalf of the accused, and represents the person charged for a crime. He considers the client's legal and constitutional rights, and tries his best to decrease or revoke the charges that have been put on the client.
Before the commencement of court proceedings, the client gets in touch with him and explains the case. The attorney then collects all the necessary data and studies the case thoroughly in order to take it forward.
To collect the data, he takes the assistance of police officers, detectives, paralegals, witnesses, and other individuals related to the crime. He also has to conduct detailed interviews with the witnesses of the crime, and gather police reports.
He investigates and researches on all the negative and positive possibilities in the case. In the court of law, he is supposed to clearly summarize the complete case to the jury, and even provide demonstrations if needed.
He provides the accused a legal advice about answering the interrogations carried out by the police department, the prosecuting officer, or any other government authority. He needs to guide the accused during his probation or parole periods.

Pay Range

A Criminal Defense Attorney draws an average salary of $80,799 per year. The salary or earnings may vary depending upon the facility and state the person is employed in. It also depends largely on the years of experience, the attorney's public reputation, and the type of client.
The pay would be higher if the attorney is well-known to resolve most of the court cases undertaken. If hired by a private firm, he may receive a yearly pay of about $190,000. If the individual is self-employed, he can make approximately $87,000 per annum in fees.
If these professionals work as public defenders or district attorneys, they may get a yearly remuneration between $40,393 - $98,662 and $50,804 - $147,247 respectively.