About David M. Dudley

When he graduated from Harvard Law School in 1984, Attorney David M. Dudley, like the majority of his classmates, could have taken a high-paying job at a large corporate law firm. Instead, he decided to devote his career to defending individuals charged with serious crimes, primarily in federal court, but in state courts as well.

Fighting for Clients and Against Corruption

Mr. Dudley believes that criminal defendants are, to varying degrees, scapegoats for larger social problems which government leaders are unwilling or unable to address directly. This scapegoating, much more intense and widespread in this country than in any other democratic nation, has led to the increasing criminalization of individual and organizational behavior.

Such expanding criminalization has in turn fed a prison/industrial complex which generates tremendous income for those who participate in its operation, creating a revolving door which is not an unintended effect of the prison system, but its primary purpose.

Without vast recidivism, the system would fail to provide the economic benefits to which those participants have become accustomed. As a result, our country incarcerates a higher proportion of its population than any other.

Through his experiences and his study of the criminal justice system and its history, Attorney Dudley has reached the conclusion that only the most violent criminal offenders, if convicted, deserve any prison or jail time whatsoever. That is why he has never served as a prosecutor.

A Range of Experience

For more than 25 years, Mr. Dudley’s law practice has taken him across the country. During that time, he has represented individuals facing major criminal allegations in 36 different states. He has handled matters in both the trial and appellate courts, state and federal, and has also represented defendants seeking post-conviction relief.

He is admitted to the United States Supreme Court and seven federal circuit courts of appeal. He has also been admitted to practice in 44 federal district courts and 48 different state and county jurisdictions nationwide.

Because of his vast range of experience, Attorney Dudley brings to his client’s defense a level of competence difficult for other attorneys to match, no matter what the jurisdiction. The favorable results he has obtained for most of his clients throughout the nation has demonstrated that criminal defendants can often benefit from having an attorney from outside the district or state in which they are being prosecuted.

Mr. Dudley’s range of practice is vast: he has defended clients against prosecutions for white-collar crimes, drug trafficking, money laundering, organized crime offenses, firearms violations, murder, and many other crimes. He has also represented individuals facing international extradition, multi-jurisdictional prosecutions, and criminal or civil forfeiture complaints.

On the federal level alone, he has handled over 250 cases in the last 15 years. Mr. Dudley has represented clients from all walks of life, including business executives, entrepreneurs, international trading companies, politicians, musicians, actors, writers, professional athletes, truckers, mail couriers, bartenders, accountants, doctors, and lawyers.

Devoted to Treating Clients Well

Attorney Dudley almost exclusively represents defendants who retain him privately, preferring not to burden his practice with the high case load he would have to accept if he regularly handled court-appointed work. Maintaining a low-volume practice allows him to devote to each client the time necessary to represent him or her properly, thoroughly, and aggressively.

Although he has handled some high-publicity matters, Mr. Dudley does not seek out cases which will bring him media attention. He has a traditional view of what it means to be an excellent criminal defense lawyer: it is not a matter of how much money you make or how much publicity you obtain—it is a matter of producing outstanding work inside and outside the courtroom and achieving the best possible result for your client.

He believes that a truly great criminal defense attorney must be both an eloquent speaker and an effective writer, combining those practical skills with an intellectual understanding of the criminal justice system.

Whatever the optimum result is in any given case — a dismissal, an acquittal, a reversal, or the granting of other requested relief — Attorney Dudley provides his clients with the maximum probability of obtaining it. In those cases where such a result is not possible, he gives them the greatest chance of reaching the best conceivable disposition.

Contact Attorney David M. Dudley to learn more.

Credentials

Education

• J.D. Harvard Law School, 1984
• B.A. Occidental College, 1981

Membership in Legal Organizations

• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
• Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Bar Admissions

• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• United States District Court for the Central District of California
• United States District Court for the Northern District of California
• United States District Court for the Southern District of California
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the District of Colorado
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• The State Courts of California

Pro Hac Vice Admissions

• United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
• United States District Court for the District of Oregon
• United States District Court for the District of Idaho
• United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
• United States District Court for the District of Nevada
• United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
• United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
• United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
• United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
• United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
• United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
• United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
• The State Courts of Texas
• The State Courts of New York
• The State Courts of Arizona
• The State Courts of Colorado
• The State Courts of New Mexico
• The State Courts of Arkansas
• The State Courts of Louisiana
• The State Courts of Nebraska
• The State Courts of Mississippi
• The State Courts of North Carolina
• The State Courts of Wisconsin
• The State Courts of Indiana
• The State Courts of Ohio
• The State Courts of Maryland