When I first thought about being a criminal lawyer it was because of what I’d seen on television. Tom Cruise as a lawyer in “The Firm” and “A Few Good Men.” Television shows like Boston Legal, The Practice, and Law & Order. And all of the other great shows that show criminal attorneys taking care of business and pushing back the strong arm of the government. Then I got into it and saw what it was really like. And I thought I’d share that experience with you.

1. The Job of a Criminal Attorney is Not that Glamorous

When you see it on TV the courtrooms are always nice, the prosecutor is always good looking, and the judge always sits high atop a mahogany throne, ready to come down on you at a moment’s notice. But in real life it’s just not like that. For example, if you are a Houston criminal attorney you spend a lot of your time driving from courthouse to courthouse – they’ve got satellite courthouses set up throughout the city. They are usually small buildings thrown together with modern day budgets, which is to say every expense was spared.

2. The Courtroom Drama is Few and Far Between

Every TV show that features criminal defense attorneys seems to have at least one suspenseful courtroom scene. Someone getting crushed on cross-examination. Someone making some outrageous admission. Someone making an outrageous argument.

That happens from time to time in court, but those times are few and far between. Most of a typical criminal attorneys days are spent in court. But that time is spent waiting for a case to be called so it can be resolved or so it can be continued, or so some other procedural thing can be accomplished. Very rarely do cases go to trial, and very rarely is there any courtroom drama.

3. What It’s Really All About

I love being a Houston criminal attorney. I don’t think I’d trade for anything else in the world, and here’s why. Despite the monotony, despite the boredom, despite the waiting in court for hours to do something that should take ten minutes, there are flashes in between that make the job really fun.

Have you ever tried to convince 6 or 12 random people that you are right and someone else is wrong? Have you ever stood up and raised your voice in opposition to something you thought was wrong? Have you ever tried something in your job that had as much chance of crashing and burning as success? Have you ever been responsible for someone’s freedom? I’ve done all of those things. I’m a criminal attorney. That’s what I love about this job. That’s why I continue to do it. Even if most of the time it’s just a boring job like everyone else’s.