How to Choose the Best Parole Attorney
The first rule is INVESTIGATE, INVESTIGATE, INVESTIGATE!
An attorney should be approachable. He or she should answer your questions and treat you with respect. If the attorney will not get on the phone and talk directly with you; if you feel that the attorney is bothered by your questions, or he or she doe not treat you with respect, then you are probably talking to the wrong attorney.
Here are some questions you should ask when deciding who is the best parole attorney to hire. Remember, you should always be able to talk to the attorney directly.
- How long have you been doing parole work?
- Do you only do parole work or do you also take other types of cases?
- Have you been qualified in Federal Court as an acknowledged expert in parole matters?
- Have you lectured to other attorneys or published articles on parole in law journals?
- Are you AV rated by Martindale-Hubble?
- How do you analyze a case?
- What kind of investigation do you do into the background of the offender and the case?
- Do you personally visit with the offender at their unit?
- Do you present the case to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in person?
- Do you prepare a written presentation packet on the offender’s behalf?
- Will you provide me and the offender a copy of your work?
- Will you take on the more complex cases such as violent crimes and sexually oriented crimes, or do you take only cases you “know you will win”?
- Do you use the services of other experts such as polygraph examiners, psychologists or risk assessment experts in your work?
- Do you have a written legal services agreement?
- Will you make any promises or guarantees to me regarding the outcome of the case? NOTE: This is highly unethical.
Questions you should ask yourself about the attorney after the interview:
- Did the attorney take the time to ask detailed and insightful questions of you in order to get sufficient information to answer your questions?
- Did the attorney explain the parole process to you?
- Did the attorney articulate to you how he or she approaches parole work, or, did the attorney only throw out meaningless numbers (such as claims that he or she wins 65% or 75% of his or her cases) that are only meant to entice you into hiring him or her?
- AFTER TALKING TO THE ATTORNEY, DID YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH HIM OR HER?
We understand that families are an intimate part of the legal relationship. Their questions and needs must be attended to in a sensitive, respectful and thoughtful manner. We appreciate the fact that you too are in prison (in a manner of speaking). As long as your loved one is locked up, you too are suffering. We are here to work for your loved ones release and to work with you in making this happen.
Best Parole Attorney in Texas
My grandson at age 16 accepted a plea bargain of 25 years after an attorney took his money and ran. A good attorney should not have had any trouble convincing a jury that it was self defense and not murder. After serving 12-1/2 years, he had his first review for parole this year. He was represented by Gary Cohen (from Austin Tx) and was granted parole in September.
Mr. Cohen has done a superb job of representing him. He visited my grandson several times and was open and personable to myself and other family members. He had done an enormous amount of research into the case, and had a phenomenal presentation at the hearing with a parole board member. My daughter and I were allowed to speak at the hearing also and we saw that Mr. Cohen was professional, yet very down to earth. I am delighted to highly recommend Gary Cohen for anyone in a similar circumstance. His fee is pricy, but remember the old saying, “You get what you pay for”.
RLT
When I needed a parole lawyer, my attorney said to me: “Gary Cohen is the best in Texas”. And he was right. Gary Cohen was instrumental in obtaining parole for our beloved brother. He has a very sharp understanding of the complexities of the Texas parole system and was able to leverage his wealth of experience and professional connections to deliver a positive result for our brother. In addition, Gary was highly supportive, courteous and understanding to us as he led us through the complicated and lengthy parole process. We would not hesitate to recommend Gary. Thank you again Gary!
Jorge R
Gary Cohen impressed me as an attorney by being professional and just caring. I found out early by research & reviews that he was considered one of the best parole attorneys in Texas & he didn’t disappoint! From day 1, I knew I was in capable hands! The parole packet he & his team prepared was incredible, written by caring & empathetic people. The detail, the photos, the way is was written was superb! There is no guarantee of outcome, of course, but I can assure you he & his team will do everything in their power to represent you or your loved one at this crucial time. They are easy to talk to & easy to reach. In our case, my loved one received an FI-1, and we couldn’t be happier with Gary & staff!
David P.