Lawyer Monthly Magazine - July 2019 Edition

CRIMINAL LAW In what ways has technology impacted the criminal law sector, and what further adoptions are expected to develop criminal law proceedings in the next few years? Well, there are some great ways from the point of view of a solo. I remember having to actually drive to Austin to ensure I met a filing deadline in the Court of Criminal Appeals. Now, with the click of a button, I am able to e-file from anywhere, literally. I can be at my favorite coffee shop, at home, or visiting family back in New England. It is wonderful. I also love the use of AI to help solos. Products like Casetext are a marvelous way to help small firms like mine stay competitive and offer cutting edge research while keeping costs down. Patrick McCann has been working in Houston for nearly 25 years. “I hung out my shingle as soon as I passed the bar, and I have enjoyed this work tremendously. I would up in post-conviction and appeals because that way I got paid to learn the law. Once older trial lawyers knew I was a “book kid” they either hired or offered to have me sit with them for trial experience, for me to work on thirty major felony trials in my first four years in practice. “It was exciting as hell, and I have loved this practice ever since.” Speaking to us this month, Patrick touches on how technology has impacted him as a lawyer and the frustrations often felt when working in criminal law. I think in the future the difficulty will be that, first, we as lawyers are going to have to begin to use encryption routinely for all office docs, including encrypted email services in order to protect client information. I also think we will likely have to demonstrate technical proficiency in certain things like document security to the Bar to stay relevant, but that is a small price to pay for the convenience technology offers. As an expert in criminal defence, can you share any aspects of the law which can cause frustrations, either with legal experts or with your clients? Well, in Texas, the State Bar has been mixed when it comes to dealing with the criminal bar. There are some fundamental disconnects between the way we as criminal lawyers operate, and the way civil attorneys do. There is nothing wrong with that – we do different things. However, I am really looking forward to our incoming President, Larry McDougal, who is a criminal lawyer. I think he will open up those lines of communication and help both sides understand the other. The Changes and Complications FIRM PROFILE The Law Offices of Patrick F. McCann provide a full range of legal assistance to anyone charged with a crime, state or federal, at trial, appeal, or on post- conviction. For more than 20 years we have dedicated our efforts to helping those charged with serious crimes, including death penalty matters, to obtaining the best results possible. If you need a lawyer for trial, our investigation and preparation are outstanding; if you have already been convicted and are facing appeal or post-conviction, then we will do everything possible to obtain relief for you and your family, which suffers your incarceration with you. Contact writlawyer@ justice.com or call 713- 223-3805 or write to us at 700 Louisiana, Ste 3950 in Houston, Texas 77002. I ALSO LOVE THE USE OF AI TO HELP SOLOS. www. lawyer-monthly .com 88 Expert Insight JUL 2019