If you are thinking about being a criminal lawyer, this post is for you. I’m going to talk a little bit about some of the things you don’t hear about criminal defense practice. I’m going to tell you about the things that aren’t that fun about being a criminal lawyer. And I’m going to do that because I want you to enter into your decision fully informed of all of things you’re likely to experience as you enter the practice.

1. Being a Criminal Lawyer is Not as Glamorous as it Looks

Now, I’m not going to lie to you, there are plenty of times when it’s pretty fun to be a criminal lawyer. There are times when you will laugh your ass off, when you will enjoy the sweet smell of victory, and you will meet some of the best people on this Earth. But it’s not usually that fun.

For example, today I was in court from 8:45 until about 10:45. Know what I was doing during that time? I was waiting for my case to be called. Guess how long my case took once it was actually called. Five minutes. That’s the unglamorous part of the job.

2. Most Criminal Lawyers Aren’t Rich

If you’re getting into this for the money, then you better put your businessman suit on. You can be the best criminal defense lawyer out there, but if you aren’t pulling in clients, and clients that can pay, you are going to be flat broke. If you don’t want to put your businessman hat on, go work for someone that will. Clients don’t just flock to you like they do in the movies.

3. Every Episode Doesn’t End with a Victory

Believe it or not, criminal lawyers lose a lot of cases. A lot. I mean, honestly, if you are winning one case out of ten that you take to trial, then you are doing one hell of a job (I know one Houston criminal lawyer that wins more than that, but that’s about it). The reason for that is simple – most of the time the losers are the ones you have to take to trial. Those are the cases that, for whatever reason, the prosecutors won’t give you a good deal on. You have a choice as a criminal lawyer at that point – take their terrible deal or go to trial and argue about the punishment later. I prefer to argue about the punishment later and take the chance of stealing a win.

There you have it, three myths exposed about the practice of criminal law. And, while it may sound bad, it actually isn’t all that bad. The highs outweigh the lows, for the most part. But it can be a grind. But, no matter what, you get to call yourself a criminal defense attorney, and there’s something to be said for that.