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Can any criminal defense lawyer defend me in a federal criminal case?

Whitney S. Boan Protecting Your Right

Video Transcript

No. In order for a criminal defense lawyer to defend you in a federal criminal case, that defense lawyer has to be admitted to the local Federal Bar in the area where you’re being charged with a federal crime. Or, in the alternative, they have to be admitted to at least some Federal Bar somewhere and perhaps they would have the ability to appear with the assistance of local counsel in the venue in the area where you are charged.

You can’t just hire anybody to handle these cases, however, because they’re very specific and the laws can sometimes very much differ substantively and procedurally from state laws. You should call a lawyer and inquire as to whether or not they handle federal criminal matters and, if so, what experience they have doing so before you decide to hire anyone.