If you're in the market for a criminal law attorney, you know very well that your future may very well ride on the selection that you make. A criminal law attorney is typically hired to defend their client against criminal charges. Typically, they will either ensure that the charges are dropped or defend their client through a trial, sometimes ending with a plea bargain. Many attorneys are technically qualified to be criminal law attorneys -- but that doesn't mean that they're all the types of attorneys that you would want to work with.

The question is, how do you differentiate between criminal law attorneys, and how do you choose the best possible one for your case? According to the FBI, about 29.5% of adults have criminal records. If you don't want to end up with a criminal record yourself, choosing the right criminal law attorney could be the most important decision that you make. Let's look into some of the most appealing qualities that you should seek out in a criminal law attorney.

1. Great Investigation Skills

Criminal law attorneys must base their defense cases on strong evidence, and at times this evidence can be difficult to find. A good criminal law attorney must be able to research and investigate their clients' cases thoroughly. Yes, you as the client need to bring as much information to them as possible. But your attorney needs to know how to glean evidence from police reports and how to hire the right investigators when necessary.

2. Experience

Yes, all criminal law attorneys need to start somewhere, but you may not want an inexperienced attorney to be the lead attorney on your case. Many inexperienced attorneys first act as assistants on cases, rather than the leads.

3. Connections

You should work with an attorney that has connections in your community. They could have connections to other attorneys or perhaps even your prosecutor, which means that they'll understand more about how that prosecutor works. They may even have connections to the police. This will make it easier for them to predict how your case will be approached.

4. Aggressiveness

The best attorney will be calm and collected but act aggressively on a professional level. Defending clients is hard. You need someone tenacious! Don't waste time. Begin researching criminal defense attorneys as soon as possible!