This blog post was written by Virginia criminal lawyer, D.P. Hultman. Ms. Hultman received her bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and received her JD from George Mason University. She completed an internship at the Arlington Public Defender's Office and worked at the Danville Public Defender's Office, before entering private practice.

How many people would actually admit that television and film affected their career choice? I would. In fact, I could congratulate, or blame, the writers, producers, directors, and actors in A Few Good Men for where I am today. A Few Good Men might not be the reason I became a criminal defense attorney, but it played a role in my decision to apply to law school.

If you have never watched A Few Good Men, I recommend it. There was something magical about Lieutenant J.G. Daniel (Tom Cruise) going after Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson) on the witness stand. But my favorite scenes were the parts leading up to it: the interviewing, the research, the evidence, and of course, the epiphany. And that was all BEFORE Col. Jessep even made it to the stand. As one of my law professors put it, this is a movie on what not to do in court, but they made it look exciting.

During law school, I didn't know I wanted to be a Virginia criminal defense attorney. In fact, I was far from it. The thought of speaking up in class, much less a courtroom, was intimidating. But someone once told me to take chances and I signed up for Trial Advocacy. Initially, it wasn't easy - the first "practice" trial we had, I was so nervous, I read the Opening Statement. But slowly, it got better. By the end of the semester, I really liked Trial Advocacy and knew I needed more practice, so I signed up for Trial Advocacy II. Unlike the first Trial Ad class, Trial Ad II was more... of everything: more focused, more mock trials, and more on-the-spot thinking. The Professor, a practicing attorney, would have us practice a specific topic, such as cross-examination, and then he would show us how he would have done it. It was training at its best. As the semester progressed, the mock trials became more complex, and the students, including myself, more enthusiastic. By the end of the semester, I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom.

At the same time as my Trial Ad II class, I was interning at the Arlington Public Defender's Office. It was hectic and a bit overwhelming, but it was exciting. I had the opportunity to research case law, prepare cases with Assistant Public Defenders, and meet with clients. In addition, I observed, and sometimes participated in misdemeanor trials. Some of the cases were very exciting to watch. There were Motions to Suppress, improper search and seizure questions, even the issue of whether or not an officer had the authority to arrest. But then there were cases where there were no issues - a prosecutor's dream come true. But it was at that moment, that I understood the importance of having a person there, standing between the defendant and the prosecutor. My interest in criminal law was awakened.

After graduation, I started looking for jobs and specifically positions involving criminal law. There was an opening in Danville, Virginia for an Assistant Public Defender, and I applied. I didn't even check the map to see where Danville was located until I got the interview...