Of course not every attorney is living the high life, and salaries can vary wildly, as they do in many professions.
So how much do criminal defense attorneys earn, and what elements have the biggest impact on their income?
There are different roles to know about
Lots of unusual jobs have serious earning potential, and yet you shouldn’t assume that all lawyers are loaded. It mostly comes down to what type of criminal defense role they fulfill, as there are several categories, including:
Public defenders
Typically sitting at the lower end of the pay scale, public defenders are charged with representing people accused of crimes who will not or cannot hire their own lawyer. Average salaries sit at around $80,000, although will rise with experience and negotiation.
Private defense attorneys
This is where the big money gets earned, as private defense attorneys have hourly fees climbing well into the hundreds of dollars. Median pay is in excess of $120,000 annually, although it’s not unusual for the high fliers to charge clients millions, especially if they are involved in high profile cases.
What exactly does a criminal defense attorney do?
It’s worth remembering that while criminal defense attorneys are well remunerated by most standards, they have to put in a lot of work to earn their keep. And this involves a lot more than just getting up in front of the judge and jury to argue their client’s case in the courtroom.
For example, an NJ based criminal attorney will be on the client’s side from the very start of the criminal proceedings that have been brought against them.
For starters, they’ll speak with their client in detail about the case and sit with them during police interviews to ensure that they do not misrepresent themselves under questioning.
They’ll also carry out their own investigations into each case, so that they can potentially find new angles from which to mount a defense, based on things that others might have overlooked.
Each piece of evidence will be analyzed and scrutinized by a defense attorney and their team, and throughout this process the client will be kept in the loop and made aware of the progress that’s being made, as well as any obligations and responsibilities they need to fulfill.
If the defense lawyer cannot get their client off the hook before a trial is called, they will then delve into every aspect of this process as well, from overseeing the selection of the members of the jury, to negotiating a plea bargain.
Should a client face sentencing, the criminal attorney representing them will attempt to get the best possible outcome in terms of the punishment that’s handed out by the judge or jury.
Other lawyers earn more
As you can see, a typical criminal defense attorney has a huge number of responsibilities to juggle, and their income reflects this.
However, they are not the best paid lawyers on average, with official stats showing that it’s possible to earn above and beyond what a defense attorney brings home if you choose a different area of law to focus on.
For example, lawyers working for businesses in the scientific research and development sector have an annual mean wage of $230,000.
In addition, income varies from state to state, regardless of the legal specialism up for consideration. Attorneys in New York make more than those in Florida, for example.
Final thoughts
The long and the short of it is that criminal defense attorneys do make a good living, but that they also work their fingers to the bone for their clients, and face high levels of stress as well.
