Interviewer: Now, what do you say to people when they think that they don’t need a lawyer and they want to defend themselves?
Brian Sloan: Attorneys are expensive. There’s a reason why attorneys are expensive. There’s a reason why attorneys have the education and go through so many years of college and law school and engage in fighting in front of the jury, fighting in front of a judge, making arguments, legal research and writing.
If You Cannot Afford a Private Attorney, a Public Defender Is a Better Option than Self-Representation
I never recommend someone represent themselves. I would much rather a person have a public defender representing them than the person try to represent themselves.
We have this legal system. It is very easy to get trapped in this legal system. It is very easy to get taken advantage of in this legal system. Public defenders, at the very least, have a legal background. They did go to law school. It is much better to have someone with legal knowledge on their side than for someone who does not have that legal background to try and represent themselves.
It Is Possible to Retain a Private Attorney Even If You Have Limited Means
Interviewer: Why would someone want to get a private attorney as opposed to a public defender?
Brian Sloan: There are actually a large number of good aspects to having a private attorney representation. The only downfall is really that it usually costs money. The way that I’ve set up my representation, I offer what I call bifurcate representation, and it really helps my clients out.
It makes my representation very affordable, and it ensures that my clients are not paying for representation they’re not getting.
With a private attorney, and I can say with me, my clients have my personal cell phone number. They can call and text and email me if they have any questions about anything. I have the legal background.
When Considering Legal Representation for a DUI Charge, It Is Advisable to Select an Attorney with a Strong Background in and a Practice That Focuses on DUI Defense
I’ve decided to focus on DUI representation, that’s all I do, so I haven’t bothered to practice in other areas of criminal law, in other areas of civil law, divorce, bankruptcy. I don’t deal with those. I simply focus on DUI cases.
What Are Your Attorneys Credentials? DUI Attorneys Are Recognized in Their Specific Field of Practice
When you are retaining me, you know you’re getting someone who is really above and beyond in their fields. I teach at three seminars a year. I’ve won multiple awards. I was on the cover of Attorney At Law Magazine in August of 2013. You know what you’re getting when you hire me.
Interviewer: What do you discuss in your seminars? What are some of the topics that you’re talking about? Who are the people that are at your seminars?
Brian Sloan: I’ve taught at the APDA, which is the Arizona Public Defenders Association. I’ve talked at a seminar called Speed DUI. I’ve talked at a seminar put on by the National Academy of DUI Defense Lawyers.
Out of the Box DUI Representation
The last group of speaking engagements that I’ve done have talked about “Outside the Box DUI Representation,” which is what can we do that really hasn’t been thought of before? We should stop doing the same things that aren’t working. Let’s be creative, let’s come up with new ways that we can try to convince the jury that our clients are innocent. Let’s look at things from a different angle. It’s been successful.
I teach private attorneys. I teach public defenders. People pay to come to these seminars. It can really help out the clients when we all get together and share our stories and share what works. I’ve tried to teach at these seminars what we can do that can impact a jury’s verdict and that can help our clients.
