Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Schisani.
Hi Christopher, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself, the story of your business, and why you decided to become a lawyer.
Hi, it is a pleasure meeting you. To start, my name is Christopher Schisani and I am a criminal defense attorney in Orlando, FL. I often get asked why I became invested in the legal profession, and more specifically, why I choose to represent individuals that are accused of committing crimes. Speaking candidly, I am passionate about making a difference in peoples’ lives and helping those in need. I strive to be an aggressive advocate for those that have been marginalized or oppressed by unlawful police misconduct, as well as endeavor to protect my clients from draconian or excessively harsh prosecutors that have personal agendas to further their own careers and egos. I want to make it clear that I do not believe all law enforcement is bad, as I respect and appreciate the difficulties of their job; but there are a handful of individuals that abuse their powers–and I thrive to give that power back to the people… the hard-working citizens of the state of Florida that have, in fact, been wronged.
If a person has, in fact, committed a crime and makes a mistake, and ultimately finds themselves in trouble with the law, I do not believe that defines them as a person, indefinitely. I believe a person should be judged based on other 99% of the time and not that one isolated incident that people hone in on or hyper-focus on. Ultimately, everyone has a bad day… that’s what makes us human. In our everyday lives, we have all either committed a crime or violation of the law without even knowing it. Have you ever went over the white bar before a stop sign without stopping directly behind it? If you rolled over the white line, technically, you violated the law. Have you ever punched your friend in the arm—probably more so when you were younger—without their permission? Or touch them without their permission or consent? Technically, you committed a battery. Have you been out drinking, and subsequently drove home? Conceivably, you could have been arrested for a DUI. My point is, don’t be too quick to judge others.
Delving into my law practice, the Schisani Law Firm, P.A. was formally an entity on October 11, 2021, when I filed my business with the state of Florida. It was one day before I turned 31-years-old. I still can’t believe I created my own law firm at the age of 30. I was a partner at another law firm for approximately two and a half years, and after much thought I felt I wanted to branch out on my own. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Florida State University and both my parents have their own businesses. It was always a personal goal of mine to own my own law firm one day, and at the time, I went for it. So far, I am humbled to say my practice has been going incredibly well; and it allows me more time with my family. I have a two-year-old daughter, Stassi, so she definitely played into my decision to go out on my own, as I am able to spend more time with her. There is nothing better than being your own boss and working for yourself. Of course, I initially had reservations and uncertainties about starting my own business, but I truly believe in myself. I think we are all capable of accomplishing anything we want in life if we work hard, believe in ourselves, and keep moving forward if we are knocked down, regardless of the circumstance. Naturally, every circumstance is different, but I find that sometimes people try to play the victim as to why they can’t succeed in life or why they can’t do something. We are all gifted with similar abilities. It is what we do with those abilities that separates us. I have had a competitive mentality my entire life. When I want to do something, I give it everything and I don’t stop until I achieve it.
As far as competition… As you know, there are a lot of law firms in the central Florida area. What separates your law firm from the others?
I think a lot of people are… I don’t want to use the terms oblivious or ignorant because those words have a negative connotation attached to them, but I guess the better word would be “unaware” of how a lot of these big-named law firms operate. Therefore, I am a strong proponent of people meeting with several different law firms to see who will be the best fit for their case. Now I am only speaking from being in the legal industry, speaking with colleagues, and from my personal knowledge, but a lot of the time a client will call a law firm or sign up with a law firm expecting the seasoned, experienced attorney to be specifically and solely working on their case—i.e. the name on the law firm. Once a person is formally a client, the client is usually assigned to another attorney with a lot less experience, who will be predominately working the case. The initial consultation with the potential client will typically involve all attorneys at the firm, which I believe is to make a big impression on the potential client. The presentation will conclude with the potential client feeling like they have a team of attorneys behind them and that the cases are worked together by everyone at the firm—but that the lead attorney will be mainly working the case. However, I do not think this is the truth. People truly believe they are hiring this named attorney—and sometimes they are having that specific attorney work their case—but from being in the industry, the client is going to be primarily dealing with one attorney with less experience and knowledge. This does not mean that the other attorney is not competent or unable to successfully work the case; it just means you are not getting who you are paying your hard-earned money for. Again, I am speaking in general, as not all law firms operate like this. There are a lot of great law firms in Florida with exceptional attorneys that are more involved with cases than others. What I am saying is, make sure you do your homework before hiring a criminal defense lawyer, as your life is on the line.
Circling back to the question, the difference between my law firm and a lot of these cookie-cutter law firms is that I personally work every case that comes in the door. I go through all the discovery, read all the police reports, watch the surveillance videos, watch the body-worn cameras, attend all court appearances, handle depositions, research, confer with opposing counsel, and I am in constant contact with my clients. All my clients have my personal cell phone number, so they have a lot of access to me.
Being accused of a crime can bring on a lot of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. My goal is to take some of those negative feelings away and alleviate the difficult time they are going through. I genuinely care about my clients and treat every case as if I was defending my own family. Additionally, I am hard-working, incredibly competitive, detail-oriented, and strive to get the best results possible for my clients. The money made in this career isn’t the only thing that satisfies me. I still get thrilled whenever I get a favorable result for my client because I am passionate about my work, and I gain a sense of fulfillment in the results that I obtain and the way I can change peoples’ lives. My clients are not just another case file. I genuinely care about my clients and their future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, up to this point, I haven’t run into any significant difficulties, aside from the natural challenges and stresses that come along with this career. As I am sure you have heard, being an attorney can be a very stressful job, especially when you are responsible for another’s life. But as far as challenges, everything has been manageable, and modestly speaking, business has been phenomenal; but with any business, I am sure obstacles will come along, inevitably. I am blessed at this point.
Contact Info:
- Email: christopher@schisanilaw.com
- Website: www.schisanilaw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schisanilaw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schisanilaw
