Defense Attorney Job Description

Defense attorneys are also known as criminal defense attorneys. When there are district attorneys to file charges against a person, then shouldn't there be a lawyer to defend the accused in the court. That is the main job to the defense attorneys, to defend the accused in court. For further information, read the defense attorney job description given for read.

The defense attorneys are approached by the family members of the accused, or their services are provided to suspects if they cannot afford private attorneys. The attorneys have to try their best at proving the innocence of their clients. They have access to all the evidence gathered against the accused. They have to study it carefully and point out all the discrepancies in them.

First, they have to secure bail for their client and give assurance to court that they will not skip bail. Then they have to file the defense with the court. The defense attorneys have to cross examine all the witness that testify against the accused and point out discrepancies in their testimonies. They can even have their own witnesses.

There is a good chance that they will be defending the case in front of a jury. They have to convince the jury of the innocence of their client. The verdict is passed by the jury and the judge then hands over the sentence. If the attorney is unable to clear the client's name, they can appeal the verdict in a higher court.

The attorneys have their own firms or are working with a firm. Once they are hired, they have to do all the paperwork on behalf of the clients. The fees they charge are also on an hour basis. This culminates into a large amount. However, to become a lawyer, they require a lot of education which is quite expensive. To know a defense attorney in absolute detail, read the defense attorney job description given below in detail.

Duties and Responsibilities of Defense Attorney

They have to defend their clients in the court in front of a jury
They have to file all the required paperwork on behalf of their clients
They have access to all the evidence gathered by the police and they can study the evidence
They have to coordinate with the opposition lawyer
They first have to meet the client and secure bail for them
They have to sit with their client and get their side of the story
Then they have to make a defense for the client and train the client on how to answer to the cross examination done by the other attorney
They have to cross examine the witnesses that the opposite parties have raised in the court and try to find fault in their testimonies
They have to put up good defense in front of the jury and try to get them in favor of their client
They have to prepare and make an extremely good and convincing closing statement to the jury
If they fail, they have to make an appeal in the higher courts

Education required for the post of Defense Attorney

They require a undergraduate degree in law
They need clear the Law School Admission Test and get admitted in a good law school

Career Advancement

Successful defense attorney make really good money, and become partners in the firm they work in. They can even go on to open their own firm.

The tough tasks of defense attorneys are well stated in the defense attorney job description, read it well if you are considering this profession.