Note well: I did not say a “good” lawyer…
“Free” jailhouse lawyers end up costing more than you would guess. Logically, the Bar Association is a state-protected guild, so no matter what happens in court, “The House Always Wins“.
A great lawyer or team of lawyers does not ensure victory. Madoff, Olmert, Katzav, Ramon, and others had great lawyers, too, and they still went to jail. However, you must have quality representation, not freebies. When one side has a real lawyer, and the other side has special, “loving and caring” non-profit amateurs, the result is usually foreknown. It may even be worse than presenting yourself (pro se representation).
One overlooked reason for this bias (although not the main one) is the judge himself is always an ex-lawyer. When the judge sees you haven’t spent enough for a high-class lawyer, your refusal to value his prior/present craft offends his sensitive feelings, so he gets even. If you find that hard to believe of those phony paragons of pagan injustice in robes, you fell for the authoritarian propaganda.