Matthew J. Ruff Criminal Law Blog on Lawyers.com

The area of criminal defense is very complex and specialized.  The following is a list of characteristics one should look for when retaining a criminal attorney:

1.  Experience, at least 10 years of experience is necessary for a well rounded lawyer

2.  Look for a lawyer that has personally defended many cases of the type you have.  Most attorneys that practice day in and day out in criminal defense should have well over a 1000 cases under their belt.

3.  Hire a lawyer with a plan, the attorney should know off the bat the approach that will be taken.

4.  Find a lawyer with experience in the Court where your case will be heard.  this is important to the outcome of a case.  Experience should include not just pleading people guilty but actually getting cases dismissed on motions and winning acquittals at trial.

5.  Do not hire a lawyer on price alone.  The cheapest attorney will often not put in the time necessary to win the case.