Why Criminal Defense Work is Like Fantasy Football

Throwback Thursday Edition: This is a blog post that was originally written and posted on October 14, 2010

By David Benowitz, criminal defense attorney and founding partner

Unless you are passionate, and sometimes compulsive, about criminal defense work, you can’t be successful at it. I equate it to my feelings about fantasy football. I love football. I’ve been a Giants fan since I was three years old. I don’t think I’ve missed watching a game since 1984, including when I was in Australia during their fabulous Super Bowl run in 2007. Loving football is about passion, and you must have passion to be a criminal defense attorney.

So how does loving fantasy football equate to criminal defense work? Fantasy football is about the love of the game, but it is also about being a bit compulsive. I say that as I sit screaming at my 52″ screen for Austin Collie, who I started over Steve Smith, to please score the next touchdown in a meaningless Week 3 Colts/Broncos late game. Unless you’re waking up at 3:00 am to write down the idea you had about your possession of marijuana case, unless your idea of a fun Saturday night is to see clients at the jail, unless you bring new Court of Appeals opinions to read at the beach on vacation, you need more passion. Go Big Blue!