Defending a criminal case is a team effort. The two main players on the team are the client and the attorney. There may also be other players on the team such as other attorneys of the firm, an investigator, and certainly the support system of the client.
Just like on any team, developing a rapport, developing trust, is critically important. A lot of individuals when they’re facing criminal charges, they’re apprehensive, they’re scared, they don’t know what they should do, they don’t know what they should say, they don’t know what they should not say. And having a relationship where a client trusts you and is really willing to open up to you, not only about what their fears and anxieties are, but also about being, really honest and really clear about the facts and circumstances of their case is really important because when a criminal defense attorney gets surprised by a fact either at trial or at some other important phase of the case, that’s often not good for their client. And so, it’s really important to develop the kind of trust where a client feels like they can tell you anything, where they feel comfortable being fully honest in answering questions and not holding anything back.
Having developed a relationship where they know that what they’ve said is going to be kept in confidence, but also that it’s going to be used to their to their maximum advantage. And once that has happened, the attorney really has an opportunity to begin really hone and focuse the representation and the defenses and the tactics, around what they’ve learned.
Why Should An Individual Charged With Criminal Offenses Choose You for Representation?
Individuals that have been charged should choose me for a number of reasons. 
The first one is that they are going to have in me a team mate and a partner and a collaborator from day one who is going to get down into the weeds with them immediately. I’m going to listen to them. I’m going to find out everything I need to know about their case. I’m going to take all the time that is necessary to get acquainted with the facts and to get acquainted with the client and to know what their goals are and to know what they’re facing.
But, someone needs more than just a good listener. They need someone who’s good at what they do. I’ve been litigating criminal cases of every kind from the most run-of-the-mill to the very most serious in the Commonwealth of Virginia for over a decade in a variety of courts and I have gained experience that is invaluable. This is a process I know well. This is something that I do well. And they’re also getting someone who loves to litigate cases, who has command of a courtroom, who has a tremendous intellectual curiosity, and a great command of the law.