Lisa Pelosi: I think that there are some wonderful legal aid lawyers who do really qualified work. I personally feel that there are benefits to having a good criminal defense private attorney. I believe it gives the client a lot more feeling of security, because they know that they, for example, in my case, can call me 24 hours a day.
That they have someone not only dealing with the criminal matter, but they have someone who gets to know their whole family, that gets to know you as a human being, that you’re not just one of 200 files that will the court-appointed attorney might have.
What Qualities Should You Look for When Retaining an Attorney and What Should You Look Out For?
Interviewer: If you were facing a crime, how would you find an attorney? What would you look for as good or bad sign that the person you’re talking to would be right for you?
Experience Is an Important Attribute
Lisa Pelosi: I believe that people oftentimes just hire an attorney quickly without interviewing other attorneys. I think the most important thing is the attorney’s experience. The only work that I do is criminal defense work. I’m an expert at it. I would look for someone who in his or in her whole career has handled criminal work, whether it’s a prosecutor or a defense attorney.
How Available Will the Attorney Be?
I would ask the person how many trials have you done, how many hearings have you done, and how many cases have you done. I would look to see if the person is available 24 hours, because that is when you need a criminal defense attorney.
It could be 3:00 in the morning on a Saturday, and your loved one is arrested for drunk driving coming home. You want to know that that person is going to pick up the phone, even if it’s 3:00 in the morning, and you’re not going to get some answering machine or some service.
Do They Focus Their Practice in the Area of Criminal Law?
I always have my cell phone on, and I am always available to my clients. Make sure that they had a background in criminal law. A criminal law is all that they do, and that day, have done trials. I’d question them about how many trials they’ve done.
Does the Attorney Listen Well and Do They Treat You as a Person, Not Just a Client?
That would be part A. Part B, which is actually as important would be developing of good rapport with the attorney. You should feel safe with the attorney and you should feel secure. You should feel that they’re going to get back to you after you call and they’re hearing what you’re saying. Are they good listeners and do they let you tell your story without cutting you off? Are theygetting to know you as a human being, not just a case file number?
Because Crises Can Occur at Any Time of the Day or Night, It Is Important that You Have Access to Your Attorney When You Need
Interviewer: How would you say you’re different from other attorneys out there that maybe similarly qualified as you?
Lisa Pelosi: What I try to give to potential clients is availability. I am, as I said, available on my cell phone 24 hours even. If I’m on vacation, the phone is on to be able to take calls from clients. When I say the phone is on, if you call my cell phone, and my office number is floated into my cell phone. When you call me you’re actually going to get me. You’re not going to get a secretary or an assistant. You will get me directly.
Is Your Attorney Taking the Time to Get to Know You and Your Family on a Personal Level?
I think that that’s the service that I provide that not every attorney provides. I also am a firm believer in getting to know the family of an individual, so that we can all work together. I think one of the good things that I do with my clients is keep communication open.
Even once the legal fee is paid, you still have the same access to me. I do care about how the case affects a client’s life in terms of their job. I often write letters to employers to explain the predicament that my client is in.
Can Your Attorney Provide Interpretation Services If English Is Not Your Native Language?
I also I’m very involved with people who have immigration issues. I work closely with an immigration attorney and provide free service, so that they can discuss their situation with the immigration attorneys.
Their status in criminal court can also affect their immigration status. We also work with an individual that speak Spanish, and Chinese, Mandarin, Chinese so that I can provide the interpretation services to people who are not comfortable in the English language.
Will Your Attorney Make the Effort to Meet with You at a Convenient Location?
Also, I enjoyed going into community. For example, sometimes a mother or a father might have children and rather than have them log the kids and bring them into my office, which is in Manhattan, I provide the service of coming into neighborhoods and meeting. I will meet at a coffee shop or a restaurant with the client, so they don’t necessarily need to come into downtown Manhattan into my office.
I will also drive to outside the city to meet clients. For example, if someone is arrested in Rockland County, I wouldn’t expect them to come downtown to my office in Manhattan. I would go into their community and meet with them there. I also don’t charge any additional fees. If the case is outside the city, I take on the travel time without passing the cost on to the client within reason.
Interviewer: What counties do you serve?
Lisa Pelosi: I work regularly in New York City, in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten, Island, and Manhattan, of course. I did intern in the Westchester DA’s office. I have a lot of cases there. I also go out to Long Island frequently. I’ve also done cases in upstate New York.
I also work with local counsel in New Jersey. I’ve done cases in Pennsylvania, actually, in state court level with local counsel. I also handle federal cases where I’ve gone to North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and to Virginia. I enjoyed the challenge of leaving Manhattan and going to meet people on other places to try to help them with their case.
Interviewer: You are certified to defend cases in the federal systems, right?
Lisa Pelosi: Yes. I do federal cases and I have for many years.
Interviewer: How many cases do you estimate you have handled?
Lisa Pelosi: Thousands of cases. I couldn’t even count. There were just thousands of cases. As a prosecutor, there were thousands of cases that I presented to the grand jury, and as a defense attorney, the same. This is what I do every day for over 30 years.
