Posted by: Ed Chernoff
May 17, 2006

Specializing in criminal defense is a completely different animal than other types of law specialties. No doubt the hours are different for a criminal practitioner, but more pronounced are the stress differences. Underlying everything we do is the constant nagging that we are responsible for the lives of our clients and their family's future. I don't mean that other types of lawyers don't feel responsible for their clients, but with the possible exception of some family specialists, most attorneys in the litigation area are fighting over money. Every day, the lawyers at Stradley, Chernoff and Alford fight over liberty and futures. It will literally make you crazy if you don't put things in perspective. Depression is a rolling theme at the firm. Yesterday Bill was told by one of his clients that she didn't think he was working hard enough for her. Her charge was Aggravated Sexual Assault of a child. Bill has worked tirelessly on her behalf, forcing the State at one point to dismiss the charge when they weren't ready for trial. They re-filed the case because of pressure from the family. Recently I have been lobbying the State to offer a misdemeanor, which they have been considering for the last few weeks. This case has been on Bill's, and more recently my, radar screen for nearly a year. Bill has prepared for trial twice. His trial notebook is immaculate. Bill knows how much he has worked on the case. More importantly, he has suffered for this client. He has a tendency to wear his clients all day long - especially those who face the very real possibility of going to prison for the first time in their lives. Bill took this woman's remarks personally and he shot back at her. All day long he carried this remark with him. Then later, over a drink, we all laughed about it. We had to. Most of our clients are suffering and desperation will cause you to do strange things, not the least of which is attacking those who love you the most. We can do no good for clients if we let the stress of our jobs affect us. I see an awful lot of good lawyers burn out and move out of the criminal arena. What this woman was really saying was "I'm scared." She has a right to be. But we can't be scared with her. Too many future battles lie ahead. There are too many people counting on us.

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