The Legal System and the Trial Lawyer

Why hire a lawyer you might ask?  Well, let us think about it.  A lawyer has been to college and law school and has passed a state bar exam. Presumably after all of that he or she knows something about the American legal system and just as importantly can think rationally about a legal problem and come to some reasonable conclusions about how the legal system is likely to resolve a case. Having myself interviewed thousand and thousands of people regarding their legal problems, I have concluded most people have strong opinions about their case, and rightly so. However, it is also true they have little experience with the legal system. That is where a trial lawyer can help them. Most cases whether a civil suit or criminal never make it to trial. Most cases should never go to trial because the evidence is not disputable and there is going to be a predictable result. Most lawyers are rational people and will have a good head for whether or not a case civil or criminal should go to trial.  The lawyer will have to bring the client to an educated understanding as to how their case looks through the legal prism. Some cases might go to a civil trial or a criminal trial because the result is unpredictable. These cases are going to be a horse race.  Other cases might go to to trial because the punishment or damages need to be settled by trial as opposed to negotiation. Finally, timing is important to resolving cases, knowing when to “hold them”, and when to “fold them” is a matter of experienced lawyering.  A good trial lawyer will get the best out of each hand by knowing when to draw more cards or to throw it in, and wait for the next round and a better hand.