Defending the Accused: The Art of Criminal Law With Anna Yum

August 21, 2024 | Written by Gladiator Law Marketing

Anna Yum is a trial attorney and the Owner of the Law Offices of Anna R. Yum, a top-rated criminal defense firm based in San Diego. Anna has built her career on criminal defense, handling an array of high-profile cases ranging from sexual assault to theft. With active involvement in the San Diego legal community, she is known for participating in professional associations and public speaking engagements. Her exemplary work has been recognized by Super Lawyers and U.S. News & World Report‘s Best Lawyers, among many others. Anna’s legal expertise is highly sought after by media outlets, where she frequently provides commentary on notable cases.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[1:44] Early inspirations that steered Anna Yum toward criminal defense
[3:30] Benefits of working on behalf of both the defense and prosecution
[6:30] The critical value of spotting legal issues from both perspectives
[10:01] Complex challenges defense attorneys face with public perception and media scrutiny
[11:09] Skills required to handle sexual harassment and assault cases effectively
[14:47] The importance of compartmentalization in dealing with emotionally charged cases
[16:22] The significance of developing a trusting relationship with clients facing criminal charges
[20:13] How involvement in social media and community engagement contributes to the success of a legal practice

In this episode…

What does it take to defend someone society has already condemned? When the stakes are high, and a person’s freedom is on the line, how does a criminal defense attorney navigate the complexities of the legal system while maintaining their moral compass?

According to Anna Yum, a seasoned criminal defense trial attorney, the answer lies in empathy, thorough preparation, and unwavering commitment. She highlights the immense pressure of defending clients, especially those she believes are innocent, because the weight of a wrongful conviction can be overwhelming. The key, Anna explains, is to approach each case with an open mind, meticulously reviewing evidence and conducting independent investigations to build the strongest possible defense. The emotional intensity of these cases is balanced by the deep satisfaction of guiding clients through some of the darkest moments of their lives, ultimately transforming their legal outcomes and personal growth.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen speaks with Anna Yum, trial attorney and the Owner of the Law Offices of Anna R. Yum, to discuss the art of defending the accused. They explore the challenges of handling high-pressure cases, the importance of building trust with clients, and the critical role of experience in shaping a successful defense strategy. Anna also shares valuable advice for aspiring defense attorneys on how to navigate the path to a rewarding career in criminal law.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Special Mentions

Quotable Moments

“The most rewarding thing about my profession is that I know that in the line of criminal defense work, often we’re in the losing business… but if my client sees the effort that I put in and the passion, then I’m happy.”
“The scariest client is the one that you believe is innocent because then you have so much pressure on you.”
“Everyone has a constitutional right to the best defense, and I truly believe in that.”
“The difference is that if you let it get to you, if you bring it home, so to speak, you’re not going to have longevity in this career.”
“I’m a true professional. I can keep it separate, as difficult as it may be, and not let it affect my psyche or not let it affect my personal life at home.”

Action Steps

Pursue work opportunities with governmental legal entities to gain firsthand experience in criminal law: This strategy is effective because it provides a comprehensive foundation and practical experience directly from the legal field’s front lines.
Cultivate the ability to compartmentalize work and personal life for mental resilience and professional longevity: This skill is essential in the demanding field of criminal defense to handle cases objectively without emotional toll.
Build trusting relationships with clients through consistent communication and transparency: Giving clients regular updates and visiting incarcerated individuals fosters trust and reassures clients of your dedication to their cause.
Use mock trials and clerkships to polish courtroom skills and understand the rigors of legal defense work: Participating in mock trials during law school can help develop effective advocacy skills.
Embrace a mentorship role and engage with upcoming legal professionals through public speaking and educational initiatives: By sharing experiences and insights, you can contribute to the growth of the legal community and reinforce your expertise and recognition as an authority in the field.

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Gladiator Law Marketing, where we deliver tailor-made services to help you accomplish your objectives and maximize your growth potential.

To have a successful marketing campaign and make sure you’re getting the best ROI, your firm needs to have a better website and better content. At Gladiator Law Marketing, we use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and decades of experience to outperform the competition.

To learn more, go to gladiatorlawmarketing.com or schedule a free marketing consultation. You can also send an email to adam@gladiatorlawmarketing.com.

Episode Transcript

Intro 0:01

You’re listening to 15 Minutes where we feature community leaders sharing what the rest of us should know but likely don’t.

Chad Franzen 0:12

Hi. Chad Franzen here, one of the hosts of Share Your Voice, where we talk with top notch law firms and lawyers about what it takes to grow a successful law practice. This episode is brought to you by Gladiator Law Marketing, delivering tailor made services to help you accomplish your objectives and maximize your growth potential to have a successful marketing campaign and make sure you’re getting the best ROI your firm needs to have a better website and better content. Gladiator Law Marketing uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and decades of experience to outperform the competition to learn more, go to gladiatorlawmarketing.com, where you can schedule a free marketing consultation. My guest today is Anna Yum, a San Diego trial attorney and Owner of the Law Offices of Anna Yum. Anna, throughout her career, has specialized in criminal defense, successfully representing clients in a wide array of cases, from sexual assault, murder and robbery to DUI and theft related offenses. In addition to her legal practice, Anna is actively involved in the San Diego legal community, participating in professional bar associations and engaging in public speaking events, including guest lectures at local universities. Her achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including Super Lawyers, US News, and World Report’s Best Lawyers and others. Anna is an active member of professional associations such as the San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyers Club and the San Diego County Bar Association. Her expertise has been recognized by various media outlets, including Fox News, Headline News, CNN and Court TV, where she provides legal commentary on headline cases.

Anna Yum 1:44

Thank you, Chad. I’m happy to be here. Thank you so much.

Chad Franzen 1:47

So tell me, as we get started here, how and when, when do you wanted to become an attorney?

Anna Yum 1:54

Good question. I think I wanted to become an attorney very, at a very young age, I want to say maybe in my middle school years, in junior high, I remember specifically writing a paper about Clarence Darrow, very famous, obviously, as you know, criminal defense attorney. And that was when I was in going in high school my freshman year. So I knew about a pretty young age they wanted to be in a realm of public speaking, and I excelled in areas of writing and reading, so I knew that that was an area that I really wanted to focus on. So I think at a very young age is when I knew.

Chad Franzen 2:27

Was there something about Clarence Darrow that specifically inspired you, or did you just find that interesting?

Anna Yum 2:33

I found it interesting, but I also found it it’s inspiring that he was representing people that were judged very tremendously people who were judged people who were the accused. And I always, even at a young age, thought it was fascinating for him to take the unpopular side when you’re talking about the court of public opinion, and to really be able to vigorously and zealously advocate for his clients, even the ones where people are like, How can you even represent that person he’s accused of egregious offenses, and the fact that he was able to defend his clients, even despite all the public shame and the opinions, I thought that was really upstanding, and I also thought it was great because he was essentially the underdog. So that was really, really fascinating for me to learn and to study at a young age.

Chad Franzen 3:18

Yeah, I’m sure in your work as a defender, you maybe deal with some of that stuff as well. We’ll get into that as we go along here. What? How did you get your start in the legal industry?

Anna Yum 3:30

So when I graduated from law school, I was a post bar clerk at the San Diego Public Defender’s Office, and I worked for free at the time, and I just received such tremendous experience because one of my mentors, he was one of the best trial attorneys in the office, and I specifically remember asking him if I could work with him on his cases. And as a law clerk, keep in mind, I don’t even have a law license yet. I was just waiting for my bar results. He let me second chair a couple of his very serious cases, so I was able to kind of get in the trenches even before becoming a lawyer, to see what it what you needed to do in order to be a trial lawyer. And that experience was tremendous, because he even let me take a couple of the witnesses, meaning I was able to cross examine some of these key witnesses in very serious cases. So that really was awesome for me to experience while I was waiting for my bar results, and then I realized that I wanted to be in the courtroom, and I also wanted to see what it was like to be on the other side, on the prosecution side. So after I got my bar results and I passed, I decided to take a job with the Riverside County District Attorney’s office. And so I went from working at the public defender’s office to the DAs office, and that was amazing, because I learned. I just had to transition my mind and put a different hat on, and I learned so much. I just learned tremendously in my years there, because I did a lot of trials. And people can teach you all they want, and they can teach you until their you know, until their faces turn blue. But unless you’re in the trenches and you’re actually experiencing the practical aspect of it, that. When you learn the most, and I that started catapulting my catapulting my career from that point on, knowing that I wanted to be a trial lawyer.

Chad Franzen 5:07

Yeah, so you, you know, you started out kind of doing prosecution work. How did that experience affect the work that you do now as a defender?

Anna Yum 5:17

I think it helped me significantly, because it really helped me to spot the legal issues. The worst thing that you want to do, or the worst thing that you can do, if you’re a lawyer, is to be blindsided. If you don’t see what’s coming on the other side, or if you have blinders on, then that’s really a disservice to your client, because you have to be able to understand what the strategies strategy is from the other side, so that you can best approach it and that you can best defend it. So I think for me, when I first transitioned from the DA’s office to being a private criminal defense attorney, that was one of the most difficult things for me to transition to, because I literally had to not think like a prosecutor anymore and really put my criminal defense hat on. And so when as I started working on these types of cases, I think it really helped me to spot the legal issues, because I could see where the prosecutor was going, because I was one, and I was able to attack certain issues and know how to defend it before it even became a problem. And so I think that when I was armed with that kind of knowledge, and when I learned the differences and the nuances between being a DA and a defense attorney, that was instrumental for me, because it really helped me to be more well rounded and not to have those blinders on.

Chad Franzen 6:21

Did you always plan on becoming a defense attorney, or was there something that motivated you to transition from prosecution to defense?

Anna Yum 6:30

A very good question. I never had it in my mind, thinking, Oh, I’m going to go to the DA office and then I’m going to be a defense attorney. I never had that in my mind. However, I’ve always been entrepreneurial, and I think that comes with my upbringing. I grew up in Chicago. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and my parents both owned retail. They both owned stores. And so from a very young age, I was exposed to the business side of things, of running a business, of working with customers, of selling a product. And so I knew that I was entrepreneurial in spirit. And so I knew that at some point, you know, maybe down the road, maybe I would consider, okay, maybe it would be nice to have my own practice someday. But I didn’t go into the DA’s office thinking that that was going to be my goal. That was something that later on, I was thinking, Well, you know, this is something that in my lifetime, I’d like to explore this possibility. And so it was a natural transition when it got to the point where I was thinking, Okay, well, if there’s a time for me to do it, then this is now. It also helped that my husband, then he was my fiance, would also help that he ran a legal marketing company. So it helped me in terms of having the confidence to be like, Okay, if I am going to make that transition, how am I going to get the phone to ring? So it all, it all worked out.

Chad Franzen 7:40

So when it comes to being a defense attorney, I’m sure there’s some, some things that maybe, maybe you face that you might not face if you were in some other element of law, you know, defending clients maybe who are accused of, maybe grotesque things or something like that, that you have to kind of, you know, I guess, be on their side. Maybe negative media attention that might, you know, maybe the the public is being already convinced that the that your client may be guilty things like that. What kind of approaches do you take to to those types of circumstances?

Anna Yum 8:14

Yes, I always say there’s never a dull day in my line of work, because we’re not dealing with contracts. We’re not dealing with money, we’re dealing with people’s liberties. And for me, I always approach my profession as as a doctor would, I’m very clinical in the way I approach it. I compartmentalize. And so for me, it’s okay, this is work. And when I look at a case, I don’t put the emotional aspect in it. I really look at it clinically to see, okay, what are the elements, what are the defenses, what are the facts here, and what’s the law? And I always try to put myself in my client’s position, because if I were ever in that position, I would want to know that my advocate and my trial attorney went out swinging for me, and that they weren’t casting judgment, and that they did everything they possibly could to work to the best of their ability to give me the strongest defense. And so I try to have that empathetic approach and thinking, you know, for me, I can sleep at night if I know that I did the best I could for my client, whether we win or lose, and if my client sees the effort that I put in and the conviction and the passion, then then I’m then I’m happy, and then I know I’ve done my job well, and I’ve had clients in the past tell me Listen whether We win or lose, Anna, I’m very appreciative. And even if we do lose, I know that you went out swinging for me, and I know you did the best, and that’s the most. That’s the most rewarding thing about my profession is that I know that in the line of criminal defense work, oftentimes I say we’re in the losing business, because when you’re a DA, you have the facts. You’re supposed to have the facts right, you’re supposed to win. So as a defense attorney, when I know that my clients can see the work that I put in, and they understand that I was just there with them, fighting along the way, then that is what gives me the most confident, most confidence in my profession, and most confidence in knowing that I did the best I could for them.

Chad Franzen 9:56

Have you been in a position where you’ve had had to handle like media attention or public perception and. Be a high profile case.

Anna Yum 10:01

Absolutely, I’ve definitely been in that position. And what I try to do is I try to stay off the blogs. I try to stay off social media. I try to stay off the comments, because I know that everyone has their opinions, and I get that, and I know that oftentimes I get the question of, well, how can you sleep at night, or how can you do what you do, knowing that your client might be guilty, or that your client may have done something that’s egregious, but at the end of the day, everyone has a constitutional right to the best defense. Right. They have the constitutional right to have a defense for them, and I truly believe in that. And I believe that anyone can make a mistake, and anyone is so quick to judge when they’re not in that position, but if, God forbid, if they were to be in that position, they would want someone there fighting for them as much as they would fight for themselves. And so, because I believe in that so passionately, I think that transcends into having a very good relationship with my clients.

Chad Franzen 10:52

Are there any, would you say there are maybe common misconceptions that people have about criminal defense attorneys?

Anna Yum 11:09

Oh, yes. A common misconceptions are, again, how can you do what you do? You’re maybe this, this much above your client, your scum. You know, I’ve heard it all. I’ve heard so many judgment calls. And wow, I’m glad that you do what you do, because I could never do what you do. And again, you know that all goes back to I try to cast leave my judgment at the door right when I’m when I’m fighting for my clients. Arguably, they’re dealing with the most difficult times of their lives. The last thing they need is their attorney casting judgment on them. And so it’s it’s a lot of vulnerability, and there’s a lot of trust in the process, and there’s a lot of having thick skin, of being able to say, Listen, this might not be the popular position, but I’m here for you. I’m here to do my job.

Chad Franzen 11:42

I know you also, along with being a defender, you also are working in sexual harassment cases. Can you tell me a little bit about what you’re doing with in that regard?

Anna Yum 11:50

Absolutely. Chad, so with my background and experience I’ve had over almost two decades, almost 20 years of experience dealing with sexual assault cases and sexual harassment cases, and so whether I was a DA in the Sex Crimes Unit or as a criminal defense attorney handling these types of cases, I’ve also been helping plaintiffs, meaning women or men who are victimized in the workplace. So on the civil litigation side, so instead of the criminal component, I’ve been helping my clients in the civil side, in terms of people who’ve been victimized, whether they’ve been exposed to a hostile work environment, whether they’ve been exposed to severe or pervasive sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, and it’s been really rewarding because it’s a different area of the law, but I think that my experience working in sexual harassment and sexual assault has been a great transition, because it really helps me again, to spot all the legal angles and also to know what It means to argue from both sides. So it’s been gratifying, and it’s been it’s been awesome.

Chad Franzen 12:46

A lot of these things, both in sexual assault and any other criminal defense. Work that you might do, probably for your clients or for people involved, is a pretty emotional time, a pretty emotional, often very emotional, issues. How do you kind of you said you’re able to compartmentalize. How do you kind of approach those situations without getting caught up in all of the emotions of the people around you? And have you always been able to do that?

Anna Yum 13:12

Yes, that’s a very good question I have, thankfully for me, I have been able to do that throughout my entire career, and it does get tough. And I think that the difference is that if you let it get to you, if you bring it home, so to speak, in my opinion, you’re not going to have a long you’re not going to have longevity in this career. Because, let’s be honest, the things that I work on, the cases that I handle, are very dark. A lot of a lot of the facts are very dark. And things that you think, wow, I would never even see this in a movie. I can’t tell you how many cases where I was like, oh my goodness, I can’t. I’ve never even seen this in a movie plot, but I think that if you let it get to you, and if you bring it home, and if you start really focusing on it, you’re not going to be able to focus on the legal aspects of the case. And that’s that’s my opinion. And so for me, I’ve always been able to just set it aside and, again, treat it like a surgeon would. Treat it like, Okay, this is what I do at work. I have to think of this. Think of it very clinically. And then if I don’t bring it home, I can honestly tell you, Chad that I’ve been able to work on a murder case. Look at some grotesque photos, look at some horrendous things, then come home and say, okay, so what are we having for dinner? Because when you compartmentalize like that. And when you keep it separate, that’s when you can say, okay, you know, I’m a true professional. I can keep it separate as difficult as it may be, and not let it affect my personal psyche, or not let it affect my personal life, at home. And I pride myself in that, because I do know that that’s tough but, but I I’m able to do that because it’s something that, for whatever reason, has come easy to me. And so I think that’s what’s also given me longevity in my career, being, you know, criminal in criminal law, great.

Chad Franzen 14:47

Is there a, is there a case that has, maybe particularly had a, had an impact on your career, on you as an attorney, that comes to the top of mind, like, yeah, like that case I’ll never forget.

Anna Yum 15:01

There are several cases, you know, there’s several cases where I’ve had clients who I truly believed in their innocence, and I truly believe that they did not commit a crime, and those are the toughest types of cases, right? Because that’s where the pressure comes. I don’t know if you’ve heard that thing, but there’s a common saying among defense attorneys that you know the scariest client is the one that you believe is innocent, because then you also have so much pressure on you, because you believe so much in your client and and you’re going above and beyond, because the thought of someone being wrongfully convicted is the worst right. No one, no one wants to be in a situation where you, on your watch, your client was, in your opinion, wrongfully convicted. So I’ve had cases where I’ve truly believed in my client’s innocence. And of course, there’s other clients where they come to me and they say, you know, I accept responsibility. I know that I did something wrong, I made a mistake, but I’m trying to mitigate, and I try to prevent the least amount of consequences, both short term and long term. So you know, throughout my career, I’ve had so many cases where it’s really left such a great impact on my life. Because again, you’ll never hear those facts anywhere. It’s the craziest set of facts. But then you also get to know the person as a human being, and you know that whatever conduct that is attributed to them does not define them. So so I can think of several on top of my head where I was like, Oh, wow. You know, I’ll never forget this case.

Chad Franzen 16:22

So, yeah, I’m sure, you know, you probably face some when you meet, when you meet a client, you said, you know, you’ve had several where you, like, you knew that that person was innocent. Like you just that person was innocent. How do you, you know, maybe there’s somewhere, there’s evidence against your client that’s that’s overwhelming. How do you kind of make the do you always make that judgment, like, I think this person is innocent, whereas in other cases, you’re you’re just doing the best to defend the client. Or how do you kind of handle that?

Anna Yum 16:53

Yeah, it depends on the evidence. It really depends on going through the discovery. Because I again, there’s some clients who are like, I’m innocent. I did nothing wrong, and then you look at the evidence, and it’s a lot, it’s pretty overwhelming. So for me, again, I reserve judgment. I always hear my client’s story. I always hear from my client, and then I look at the facts and I look at the evidence, and of course, we conduct our own Defense investigation in order to see what can corroborate what our clients are saying and what other witnesses are there. So it really depends. Every case is different. Every case is very fact specific. But I try to reserve any judgment until I’ve been able to assess the totality of the case and the totality of the circumstances. And then again, I have to have difficult conversations with clients at times about listen, I hear you and I hear what you’re saying, but this is what they’re going to try to present. And and I want to, you know, I just want to make sure they’re not blindsided by what the government’s case is. Because, you know, they have to see that again, it goes back to seeing what the other side is.

Chad Franzen 17:48

What would you say are the most rewarding aspects of what you do for you?

Anna Yum 17:53

I think, I think one of the most rewarding aspects, again, is, is helping people in in literally, the most difficult, dark times of their lives. I’ve had so many people come to me who have been in tears, grown men in my conference room in full on, hysteric tears, hysterical tears, and people who have gone through very difficult times in their lives, whether it’s their upbringing, whether it’s current, whether it’s situational, and being able to tell them, Listen, this is going to be a marathon. It’s not going to be a sprint, but I’ll be here with you every step of the way, and we’ll get you through this, and also letting them know that this is just a chapter in your life, and this too shall pass, and it’s just being going through that journey with the client which is most rewarding, because I can’t tell you, there are so many cases where the person that I represented from the beginning has completely changed to the person that that that he or she is at the end of the case, and to see that transition is really rewarding, too. I love my relationships with my clients, because that’s the most gratifying aspect of my job.

Chad Franzen 18:50

What do you do to maybe like at least initially, I’m sure once they see you working, that they eventually trust you or whatever. But initially, how do you kind of build trust and rapport with with a client.

Anna Yum 19:03

I think a lot of it has to do with FaceTime with them. For instance, if the client’s in custody, visiting them, visiting them frequently, so that they know that they can trust you. Because it’s a journey again, and I get that, you know, especially for instance, in a criminal defense field, if, if I’m advising a client to take a deal, and it requires years of their life behind bars. Who are they going to trust? Are they going to trust me if I’ve only visited them one time, or are they going to trust someone who has established a relationship with them and gone to see them and gone to talk to them and establish that trust along the way? And I’ve had judges. I have judges who are friends, who’ve told me the same thing, the biggest difference that they see among the most successful defense attorneys are the ones who have that rapport and go visit their client regularly and establish that trust. So I think that it takes time. And then, of course, for my clients who are out of custody, I think that it’s about maintaining open communications. Because for me and my firm, we’re all about communication, because if. Don’t have that communication, you don’t have that trust. And if you don’t have that trust, then you don’t have an attorney client relationship.

Chad Franzen 20:05

I have just one more question for you, but first, tell me how people can find out more about the Law Offices of Anna Yum?

Anna Yum 20:13

Yes. So we have our website, which has great information about our attorneys. We have currently, including me, there’s four attorneys at my firm. I’ve got a senior attorney who works at the very serious cases and federal cases as well, whether it’s drug transportation or importation, alien smuggling, you name it. So he does a lot of the federal work and the serious state court work. I also have another associate, Logan, who’s amazing. He does a lot of our serious felonies as well. And then Lauren Hoffman is also one of our great attorneys, and she’s amazing as well. She handles our misdemeanors and felonies. So our website, we also have a big social media presence and and then, of course, calling our office and just getting more information is is great, too.

Chad Franzen 20:54

My last question for you, I think I mentioned that you do some public speaking and maybe some work with young people. What advice would you give to, maybe somebody you knew well that wanted to become a defense attorney, that they probably couldn’t learn in law school they probably could only learn by walking in your shoes?

Anna Yum 21:12

Yes, I love talking and speaking to college students and law school students, because I would have loved that guidance when I was their age, too. I think one of the most important things, and one of my professors said this to me, and I’ll never forget it, it’s if you have an opportunity, and if you really do want to become a criminal defense lawyer or a prosecutor, work for the government. I can’t stress that enough, whether it’s a clerkship, whether it’s an externship, whether it’s trying to get a job right out of law school, but work for the government, because if you work for the government, then you’ll be able to get exposed to so many different types of cases, especially in the criminal sector, and you’ll get that trial experience, that much coveted trial experience that’ll give you the confidence to know what to look for and how to argue certain things. That’s what I did when I was in law school. I was in mock trial, and I clerked at the public defender’s office. And so I think that experience, for someone who is younger, who’s looking to go down that path, that experience, is priceless, and I would highly recommend that, and if that’s not available, then try to get a job clerking whether it’s a paid internship or not working at a law firm, just to see if it’s an industry that you like. When I first started, I thought maybe I would like civil litigation more than criminal. And then when I started doing mock trial and working for the government, I was like, Okay, I’ll go criminal now. And now I do both. So it’s just learning and exposing yourself to things that you that you can realize, Okay, I like this and I don’t like this. I think that’s the most valuable information that that I would want to know. If I you know if I was in college or in law school.

Chad Franzen 22:41

Sounds good. Great advice. Hey, Anna, it’s been great to talk to you. Thanks so much for your time and insights. Very interesting, very informative. Really appreciate it.

Anna Yum 22:50

All right. Thanks for having me, Chad.

Chad Franzen 22:51

So long everybody.

Outro 22:55

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