Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
This is not my usual “informational” blog article. In fact, this is pretty much a self-congratulating piece touting my own accomplishments in Driver’s License Restoration Appeals. In this case, I am celebrating the fact that in over 70 License Appeals filed and Heard in 2010, I won each and every one! That’s a 100% success rate, and a lot of people I’ve helped get back on the road legally.
For many years, I have maintained a win-rate of well over 90%. And, truth be told, I never really gave much thought to a perfect year until I noticed, some time ago last year, that I had won every case I filed. I imagine it’s a like bowling. Of course, you’d set out to do as well as you can, but few people think of that first frame as the opportunity to begin a 300 game. Nevertheless, if you find yourself about to roll the 5th frame, with 4 strikes behind you, it’s impossible to not start thinking about possibilities. And that’s what happened to me.
Of course, a lot of that has to do with very careful case preparation. Beyond working with the Client to make sure they do well, it also means NOT filing for a Hearing prematurely. My first meeting with any Client, in order to begin the License Restoration process, is a 3-hour appointment which focuses primarily on just getting them ready to undergo the mandatory Substance Abuse Evaluation.
From a business point of view, it means not accepting Representation in a License Appeal for someone who is dead-set on forging ahead, even though I see the need to wait a bit, and perhaps address some issue or other. It means, in real terms, placing winning results above profits.
And for all of my experience and skill in this somewhat specialized field, absolutely none of this would be possible without decent, deserving Clients who, once prepared, can step up and prove their readiness to be re-licensed. After that mutual selection process between Lawyer and Client takes place, the end result should be a Lawyer who is truly happy for the Client, and shares in their celebration, and a Client who is grateful for the help and guidance of their Lawyer.
On January 10, 2010, I received final notification of the last outstanding License Appeal from 2010. Having won that case, I was thrilled to have pulled off a perfect year.
Now, a 100% success rate isn’t all that impressive if you only handle 10 or 15 License Appeals per year. But I have yet to meet the Lawyer who handles anywhere near the number of Appeals I do, and winning 100% in 70 cases is, I think, reason to celebrate.
In my next article, I’ll return to the usual, informational article that is the hallmark of this blog. Having just completed a long series of articles about DUI in Local, Macomb County District Courts, there are several License Restoration topics I’m anxious to discuss. For now, though, I thought I’d treat my self to a small break, and a little tooting of my own horn.