The following excerpt is from Alnutt v. United States, No. 13-3601-pr (2nd Cir. 2014):
The standards governing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel are well established. The defendant must prove both that (1) counsel's performance "fell below an objective standard of reasonableness" and (2) counsel's deficient performance prejudiced the defendant, resulting in an unreliable or fundamentally unfair outcome in the proceeding. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687-88 (1984). "The assessment of prejudice should proceed on the assumption that the decisionmaker is reasonably, conscientiously, and impartially applying the standards that govern the decision." Id. at 695.
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.