Only a criminal defense attorney admitted to practice in the Federal District Court, for which you are charged, may represent you on a Federal Criminal case. Attorneys may be allowed to represent you in another Federal District Court, but they must be admitted in good standing. This is important because many attorneys only practice in State Court and are not admitted in Federal court. Also, many attorneys are admitted to practice in Federal court, but do little or no practice at all in Federal court. It’s important to find out how much experience an attorney has practicing in Federal court.
I have practiced in the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida for 28 years with several more years of practice in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida. I have practiced in Federal court in New York, New Jersey and the Northern District of Florida as well. I have dedicated a large portion of my practice to Federal criminal cases.
Federal criminal defense, especially the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, become more complex requiring specialized training and experience every year. It is important that you find an attorney who is experienced in the Federal system, if you find yourself in a situation with a Federal criminal case.