So, how do you avoid the burn out? Do you feel burnt out?

I wouldn't say that I ever get burnt out more than any other attorney would. The long hours and all of that weigh on everyone. The cases can be tough at times, but the work is incredibly interesting. I would be lying if I said there weren't still a few that kept me up at night. To avoid struggling, I'll spend time with people close to me and talk to a professional if there's something causing me issues.

To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty desensitized to the shitty stuff. When I say cases I struggle with, most are losses that I knew I should've won. You can help or ruin lives in a very short time period.

Why do you practice criminal law?

It's incredibly interesting to me and it allows me an experience I don't think I would be able to get in another field. I meet with a number of interesting people, both "good" and "bad", and work as a fundamental factor (in my less than humble opinion) in protecting the rights of the people. If nobody keeps the prosecutors and police in check, America could be a very scary place. You here it constantly, but they take advantage of the fact that the common American isn't aware of their rights or how things may be used against them.

What I always tell everyone else as well, is to think about all the times you or someone you know broke the law. It happens constantly and people do make mistakes. Some of those mistakes can destroy the rest of their life, especially without a defense attorney. I know it's also easy to say, "they deserved it for breaking the law". But if you sit there and think just how long a few years in prison is and how unemployable a conviction can make you, it can be way worse than it seems on the surface.

If you think of criminal defense as protecting the rights of the accused, whether they "did it" or not, it becomes easier to wrap your head around. Similarly, if you consider the life-altering effects of even a minor criminal conviction, a second chance at life to remain or become a productive member of society is not always a bad thing.