Donovan & Engle Information

At Donovan & Engle, our belief is that quality legal representation requires a small caseload. Your case deserves and needs individual attention. If your attorney can't tell you exactly how many cases she has at any given moment, the answer is "too many. A high volume of cases inevitably increases the risk of errors. We also believe in client-centered litigation. Client-centered litigation means that you know what your attorneys are doing on your behalf and that your ideas, thoughts, and concerns are heard and addressed by your lawyers. If you are charged with or have been convicted of a serious felony, you should expect to meet with your lawyer regularly to hear how your case is progressing. We also understand that being incarcerated makes it particularly difficult to feel that you are in control of your case. An incarcerated client can and should expect regular visits from his attorney to discuss the progress of the case. We believe in attention to detail. One of the benefits of having a small caseload is that it enables us to focus on the details of your case. Criminal cases are factually complex matters that may involve numerous witnesses and thousands of pages of records. When attorneys have too many cases, they cannot delve deeply into the details and their clients may find themselves feeling that they know more about the case than their lawyers do. No client should ever experience the frustration of dealing with an unprepared lawyer. At Donovan & Engle, we pride ourselves on investing the time and effort it takes to master the facts and law involved in our cases. Oliver Wendell Holmes famously wrote that "hard cases make bad law. In the criminal defense context, this saying means that it is particularly difficult for courts to uphold a defendant's rights when she has been charged with (or convicted of) a serious crime. We believe, however, that the Constitution is meant to protect all defendants regardless of the charges they face. In fact, constitutional principles such as the presumption of innocence ...