 
It can be a very trying process to locate and retain a San Diego DUI lawyer. Many attorneys are either inept, lack experience, and/or dishonest. By asking the following specific questions you can simplify the process:
- Is the lawyer able to secure technical expert witnesses in police procedures and does he/she have access to blood/breath analysis? Will he/she have a lab reanalyze the blood samples?
- Results of a trial are never certain. Does the lawyer make any promises about the results of the case? A lawyer who has professional integrity would never make any guarantees.
- Do charges include all the “extras” (DMV license hearing, blood reanalysis, trial, subpoena costs, expert testimony, etc.)? Is there a retainer fee? Most importantly, are all fees laid out and explained in a written contract?
- The field of DUI defense is very specific and complex. Does this lawyer handle criminal cases as well as drunk driving cases? How many cases pertain to drunk driving out of his/her entire caseload? Handling multiple kinds of cases is analogous to a family doctor who covers heart transplants, cancer research, and pediatrics all at once. (For more details, please see an article in the American Bar Association Journal about today’s need for specialization in DUI defense.)
- Where does the lawyer stand with the State Bar? Have there been any negative comments about him/her?
- Was the attorney’s law school a highly regarded institute? Is the lawyer Board-certified by the National College for DUI Defenses, and is he/she a member of the college?
- The highest score for capabilities and principles is “A-V”. How did the Martindale-Hubbell International Directory of Attorneys rank the attorney?
There appear to be only three law firms in California which both specialize in drunk driving defense exclusively and are "A-V" rated ("very good to preeminent") by the Martindale-Hubbell International Directory of Attorneys. Two of these firms are headed by former Deans of the National College for DUI Defense and, under the auspices of the American Bar Association, are both Board-certified by that prestigious organization. One of these has offices in San Diego:
Law Offices of Lawrence Taylor: San Diego DUI Attorneys
7-attorney firm which accepts DUI defense cases only. A former prosecutor, Fulbright professor of law and dean of the National College for DUI Defense, Mr. Taylor is the author of the leading DUI defense books Drunk Driving Defense, 6th edition and California Drunk Driving Defense, 3rd edition. The firm is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and is apparently unique in having its own technical support staff of law enforcement, DMV and blood/breath alcohol experts.
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San Diego DUI is a legal resource for the accused to counter the influence of extremist groups advocating unfair laws, destruction of constitutional rights and a new era of prohibition. The National Motorists Association's website discusses such drunk driving issues as unconstitutional roadblocks, misuse of blood alcohol tests, harsh criminal punishment, and "automatic" driver's license suspensions. |
