This research guide includes information and resources on ineffective assistance of counsel in criminal cases. Counsel is ineffective when "a.According to Westlaw, 734 criminal cases in Texas appellate courts discussed claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. From a legal standpoint, why are people interested in bad lawyering or ineffective assistance? A frequent ineffective assistance complaint is that the defense attorney did not obtain pretrial discovery. You can make a motion for ineffective assistance of counsel during your trial if you feel that your lawyer is not performing their duties. All of this evidence can overcome a claim that a plea was involuntary due to ineffective assistance of counsel. Ineffective lawyering compounds each of the causes of wrongful convictions listed in the chart above. (c) engaged in a practice of unprofessional or unethical behavior; or. Chris Perri, an experienced postconviction lawyer, explains what constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel in the eyes of Texas law.