Stanley Helinski | Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer

• Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys

• Adjunct Professor at Massachusetts School of Law

I feel like every case I work on makes a big difference. I won't represent someone if I don't think I can make a difference.

Make sure that I have time and attention to handle, properly, each situation I take on.

Excellent question. You should be weary of initial consultations, as they are a sales pitch. Those looking for a lawyer should feel comfortable that the attorney is being straight with them. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Look out for hidden charges. Be sure that, in cases involving court, that the attorney has ample experience trying cases. In my view, the only way to truly understand a case is to have been through multiple actual jury trials in many different cases.

Realistically, local knowledge is helpful but can be hindering too. Other than jury composition and the culture of the District Attorney/Attorney General's office, your approach to cases should have little to do with local knowledge but everything to do with ability to investigate and organize a case, prepare extensively and to always be thinking.

It depends on how much I know about the case. The more I know, the more advice I can provide. If I am comfortable advising based on my initial look at the case, I will do so regardless of whether I will eventually be hired.

In criminal cases, a copy of the police report and/or grand jury minutes are extremely helpful. Absent this, I would need a general background of the circumstances and, if you intend to hire me, a list of any witnesses I could contact immediately. The general rule is that the first one to the witnesses "wins," so it helps to get in early investigation. Otherwise, an explanation of the situation is enough to get me thinking.

Big picture and not looking to earn a quick fee. If I decide to represent you, it means I am invested in your situation and intend to take care of you.

Reducing a personally-distressing situation down to a plan. I find that, when I lay out options and lay out a plan to get a client through what they are going through, I can bring down the level of panic or distress, which brings me satisfaction.

I am a father of a teenager, and I try to be an excellent influence on her.

I am an ordained Rabbi and have been involved in the legal community, professor to law students, coordinator for student trial competitions and multiple Bar committees involving changes to evidentiary and other rules. I have been a member of a trial lawyer association of lawyers for nearly twenty years and have formed lifelong relationships with attorneys in about every practice.