An Everday Fighter Pilot - Our Blog
Welcome to our blog! So, what does a law firm blog have to do with fighter pilots, you ask? Well, I have always been a closet fighter-jock-wanna-be and while watching a movie called “Mission of Honor” about the Battle of Britain (which you should absolutely see if you haven’t already), it occurred to me. These amazing men and women who fly their amazing machines into harm’s way on a daily basis truly are heros, yet nobody knows their names, who they are, or where they come from - and they don’t ask for recognition, but simply go about their jobs on a daily basis - day in and day out going to work fighting unseen enemies in the skies defending the principles and people of this great country.
Across America, and even across the world, there are men and women who each day get up and go to work to also fight battles to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution and the people of the United States. However, these proud and passionate warriors do not fight their battles in the skies with technologically advanced machines, but instead fight the battles in our court rooms with pen and paper and legal argument. These are the criminal defense trial lawyers that every day appear in court prepared to fight to see that a client’s rights are protected and that justice is done. They are passionate by nature about their purpose and principled about their craft. They are some of the best trial lawyers that nobody’s ever heard of - and that’s fine with them. These are the people that protect our Constitutional rights in seemingly irrelevant cases, but thereby push back the tide of government regulation, over-zealous law enforcement, and compromise of rights for efficiency’s sake.
It’s been said that trial lawyers are akin to fighter pilots, requiring the analytical skills of a chess master in split second decisions that can effect the outcome of a trial and, ultimately, have lasting consequences to our clients. Though criminal defense trials are not aerial dogfights, they are played out on a fluid chessboard which changes subtley, but constantly, during the course of the trial. Addressing a jury, the judge, sizing up opposing counsel, commanding the courtroom, all demand a level of self-confidence that isn’t required in most professions. Ours is the profession of persuasion, and if you don’t believe in yourself, your argument, and your case, that lack of confidence will be reflected in subtle ways, whether through body language, tone of voice, or hesitation in speech. And if you don’t have confidence in yourself and your case, neither will a jury.
There are a large number of trial attorneys today who practice either by themselves or in small 2 or 3 person firms. These attorneys come from a rich heritage of fighting uphill battles against the resources of the government, protecting those individuals who can’t protect themselves, explaining to frightened mothers, fathers, children, what the legal process entails and how to best approach and resolve their individual situations. I believe one of the fundamental duties of a criminal defense attorney is to educate a client and thereby alleviate, to some degree, that which is unknown to the common man on the street. Only when someone understands the legal process, the principles of law, and the options available to them can they truly and knowledgeably exercise their rights as citizens in a free society. And, yes, sometimes that requires engaging in pitched battles in the court room.
Much like most of the fighter pilots in wars and battles gone by, you have never heard of, nor ever will hear of, the names and daily activities of these criminal defense attorneys and while there certainly are the “aces” of the profession, the vast majority of these attorneys remain largely unknown, silently pursuing their profession with a passion and purpose. These are the Everyday Fighter Pilots of the legal profession and I am immensely proud and honored to be one among them. It is the hope and intent of this blog to bring some insight not only into the life of an Everyday Fighter Pilot through stories, insights, thoughts and comments, but to also educate and share the most recent trends and developments in criminal defense, with a particular emphasis in DUI defense. I hope you enjoy the stories, feel free to share your comments and thoughts, and learn a little something along the way.