Lisa Pelosi: I think some clients think that if they have an attorney that yells and screams and puts on the show in front the judge that somehow that will works to their advantage. If that’s the kind of attorney somebody want, I tell them don’t hire me, because that’s not my strategy.
Every Attorney Has a Different Approach but It Is More Important They Have an Effective, Instead of a Theatrical Approach When in Front of a Judge
I don’t think those attorneys are the attorneys are respected by the judge or by the prosecutors. I think the judges respect attorneys that are more down to earth and genuine, and don’t waste the court’s time with the theatrics that judges don’t really like it all. The client might like it in that moment, but it will never help the client.
Interviewer: Can you give me some examples of some memorable cases you have worked on? Lisa Pelosi: To be honest, I had so many cases that I’ve worked on over the years that the extra effort that I think I put in made a difference to the client. Part of what I did as a prosecutor was to be a special victim’s prosecutor. I do handle a lot of domestic violence cases representing husbands usually, sometimes wives, but husbands who are accused of abusing their wives. I’ve had a lot of success with those cases. In addition, I got a case where a student was charged with three other individuals outside New York City of gang rape. I put a team of people together. This was an individual who was a wonderful student in high school, wonderful athlete, and everybody had him thinking he was this horrible person. They believed that the police said he was part of this crime. With the work we did, all charges were dismissed against my client. I also had a 13 week trial where the client was accused of involvement in the death of some firefighters. I clearly believed that my client was innocent, and my client was found not guilty. I also handled an arson case where people thought that the individual was guilty, and that case was also dismissed. Many of my cases were press cases, and those are, for me, interesting to discuss. I just think of equal interest, every single day, the smaller cases that I handle that are not be the press, but they still of vital importance to the people involved. The extra work that I put into the case has a profound effect on families. Even years after their case is finished they will call me and thank me. They call around the holidays because they’re grateful for the extra effort that I’ve put in, so that their child didn’t have a criminal record, or that their husband’s immigration status wasn’t revoked.
Overcoming Public Perception with High Profile Cases or Cases Being Tried in the Media Rather Than the Courtroom
Making a Difference on a Daily Basis: The Smaller Cases, without Publicity Are Critically Important to the People Involved
