NILA ROBINSON

Our criminal justice system is based on an adversarial tradition. Assisted by the power and resources of law enforcement and the State of Wisconsin, the attorneys for the government present their side of the argument for the guilt of the accused. Defense attorneys speak for the accused. We help accused people defend themselves with every argument or piece of information at their disposal. That job doesn't start when we stand up at the counsel table and address the court or begin to question a witness. It begins when we listen to what our clients tell us about their situations and about who they are. We have the compassion to understand people and to know the most important question is not what happened but why. The defense of an accusation of criminal wrongdoing, like the trial itself, is human drama of intense feeling and emotion. We don't ignore the human part of the legal problem; that human part is usually the key to a great result... My office has always operated with heavy..