How to Choose a Civil Rights Lawyer for Your Police Misconduct Case

If a police or law enforcement officer has violated your civil rights, you may want to contact a civil rights lawyer to discuss your options. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a lawyer.

Experience and Focus
For any area of legal assistance you may need, it is best to choose a lawyer who has experience in that particular area of law. For example, if you have an employment discrimination case, you would consult with a lawyer with experience in representing employees in employment discrimination cases. If you have a bankruptcy issue, you would consult with a lawyer who has experience in bankruptcy cases.

If you have a case involving police misconduct or excessive force, you should consult with a lawyer who has experience in handling civil rights police misconduct cases. There are several ways to find out if a lawyer has experience in the area of law in which you need assistance. For example, you can search on the internet for lawyers in the practice area you need. Many experienced lawyers have websites, where they provide information about their practice areas, and the results they have achieved in their cases. You might also contact friends or family members who have had similar legal issues and find out whether they liked their lawyer, and who that person was.

Good, experienced lawyers will also focus their law practice in the areas in which they have experience and they excel. For example, a civil rights police misconduct lawyer may focus only on those cases, and not practice probate or estate planning law.

If you have a case involving death at the hands of police officers, jail officials, or jail medical providers, you should consult with a lawyer who has experience in that very complex area of the law. At Haddad & Sherwin LLP, our entire practice is focused on civil rights police and jail misconduct cases involving wrongful death or catastrophic injury. We do not handle prison litigation, or traffic accident cases, or probate and estate planning issues. We have decades of experience in handling police and jail misconduct cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury, and we have gained great experience by focusing our practice on those areas of law alone.

Geographical Region
Lawyers are not allowed to practice law in every state in the country. They must be admitted by the State Bar to practice law in the state or states in which they practice law. Lawyers who only practice law in the states in which they are admitted to practice are better able to keep current on the laws that apply to their practice areas in their state.

Some lawyers might travel around the country to handle cases, but those lawyers are legally required to team up with another lawyer who is admitted to practice law in that state, who may or may not be skilled at handling the case.

At Haddad & Sherwin LLP, we only practice law in Northern and Central California, from Fresno to the Oregon border. This geographical focus allows us to keep current on law in our practice areas as it develops. It also allows us to develop an excellent reputation in the courts in which we practice law.

Trust
Your relationship with your lawyer must be based on honesty and trust. If you do not trust your lawyer, it is possible you may not have the right lawyer. Your lawyer should answer your questions. While lawyers can be extremely busy, your lawyer should respond to your calls or emails as soon as he or she is able, and give you updates on your case from time to time.

Your lawyer should help you understand the legal process, and must always be honest with you. Trust goes both ways. It is very important to help your lawyer best represent you by always being truthful with your lawyer.