Finding the Right Criminal or DUI Defense Lawyer in California with ChatGPT
I am not a big tech guy. I don’t need the latest phone or computer. I only take my laptop to court when I have a contested hearing, prelim or trial. I only scan files when I need to send them to my clients or when I am putting them in storage. I hate to say this, but I guess I’m becoming one of the “old guys”.
My son recently taught me how to use ChatGPT. It seems far from perfect to me, but used appropriately, it does seem to have good uses and saves time with research, some types of writing and other office applications.
When it comes to finding clients, I am also not hi-tech. The vast majority of my new clients come through referrals from old clients or other lawyers. I don’t like advertising, I don’t employ salespeople or “case managers” and my secretary doesn’t really like talking to new clients.
Lately, I’ve had new folks call me and tell me they found me through ChatGPT. The first time I heard this I was really surprised. The client is a really nice guy that works in a very serious tech job for a very large international corporation. He explained to me a little bit about his background and how, with his training, he was able to weed through a great deal of fabrication on the internet and find a lawyer who could really help him. It was interesting because, rather than wanting to hear about my background, training and experience, as soon as he completed his internet sleuthing, he already knew he found the right guy.
What surprises me is the fact that I am even “findable” on the internet. There must be hundreds of DUI and criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles with bigger, better, and fancier websites than me. Many lawyers pay full or part time people to handle their websites, to optimize, to write blogs, to list every single Penal, Vehicle or Health and Safety Code known to mankind so they can be found on the internet.
All the while, ChatGPT sends people to my office. I don’t pay an internet guy. I don’t hire blog writers from foreign lands, but what I do is get the job done. I don’t bullshit my clients, and I don’t charge inflated fees to cover the cost of unnecessary overhead. In full disclosure, this summer was the first time anyone other than attorney Jeffrey Vallens wrote a blog for my sites. My son was home from college and came to work for me for the summer. He wrote a few blogs, did some legal research, helped digitalize some of my files and other tech stuff that I hate to do. I hope ChatGPT doesn’t find out.
If you or someone close to you has been arrested for DUI or any other crime in Southern California, I would be happy to speak to you about how I can help. Don’t talk to a sales rep, even if they tell you they are a lawyer. Unless they are “the” lawyer that is going to handle your case, don’t talk to them. If your lawyer doesn’t have enough time to talk to you before you pay them, how much time will they have for you after you pay them?
Attorney Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (805) 230-3651 or
Email me: jv@4criminaldefense.com