After all, as we said above, the law is huge, vast and complicated. You can think of the law as a maze, in fact, that seems to stretch on and on for miles with no end in sight. The law is a maze with thousands of twists and turns, thousands of doors, passages, dead-ends. The law has all these little secrets. The law is a maze. And what does a lawyer do? Why, a lawyer, simply put, guides you through the maze. A lawyer is essentially a guide to the law, a guide through the law.
Now, within the law you have something called a trial lawyer. A trial lawyer is someone trained to defend clients in a court of law. You see trial lawyers on TV all the time. Perhaps some of your favorite television shows are dedicated to stories about trial lawyers. A trial lawyer stands before a judge and jury. A trial lawyer passionately (a) defends someone or (b) attacks someone else.
For example. Let's say that you own a business, and your business partner of ten years suddenly decides to cheat you. He goes off with a bunch of equipment that belongs to you, he steals money from you. What do you do? Where do you go now? To whom can you complain, who can help you? Well, a trial lawyer can. A trial lawyer (remember our maze analogy above) can get you started on the road to retribution. That is, a trail lawyer will know how to get your money and equipment back. He'll help you take your former business partner to court. A trial lawyer will put your former business partner before a judge and jury. A trial lawyer will do everything within his power to get you your rights within the law.
But your business partner will have a trial lawyer of his own. Your trial lawyer is, so to speak, attacking or going after your business partner; his trial lawyer is defending him. You see, it works both ways. And in that way we have a balanced legal system. Trial lawyers are an important part of that legal system. Trial lawyers have special training which enables them to understand the loopholes, the complications of the law.
You can find a good trial lawyer in the phone book or on the Internet. The phone book and the Internet devote a lot of space to trial lawyers. You can also (if searching for a trial lawyer) call your State Bar Association. Your State Bar Association will have information on each and every trial lawyer in your state. It is important that you find a good trial lawyer if you need one. Perhaps you know another lawyer - perhaps you have a friend that's a lawyer. If so, you should ask for his or her advice when it comes to hiring a good trial lawyer. Usually lawyers will know a lot about their fellow lawyers, and will be able to tell you who is successful and who is honest.