Qualifications

Certified Criminal Law Specialist

A serious criminal charge can literally affect the rest of your life. Your family, your livelihood, and your freedom are all at stake. The most important thing you can do is get a Certified Criminal Law Specialist on your side. Many lawyers handle criminal cases, but only a select group can claim to be Specialists.

From Brian’s interview for the Masters of the Courtroom series on ReelLawyers.com.

The California State Bar has strict ethical rules that prohibit lawyers from claiming to be a Criminal Law Specialist unless the State Bar itself has certified them as a Specialist. To obtain a designation as a Certified Criminal Law Specialist, lawyers must meet a rigorous set of criteria. They must have extensive experience in handling criminal cases. They must demonstrate exceptional knowledge in criminal law; in fact, they must pass a separate bar examination that tests their knowledge of criminal law. And they must receive favorable reviews from judges and other lawyers who are familiar with their work. Only then will the State Bar allow a lawyer to claim to be a Certified Criminal Law Specialist.

When you have a Certified Criminal Law Specialist on your side you can be confident that your case will be handled by a top-notch lawyer. Your case needs to be thoroughly investigated. Physical evidence needs to be evaluated. And if your case needs experts, they must be included on your defense team. A Certified Criminal Law Specialist who is prepared to go to court for you will be able to obtain the best possible result for your case.

Brian J. White has been certified as a Criminal Law Specialist by the California State Bar, Board of Legal Specialization. With over 20 years of practice, he has gained substantial trial experience defending the most serious of criminal cases, including murder, sex offenses, and drug charges.

Super Lawyers

Like Martindale-Hubble, Super Lawyers is a peer-review rating system designed to assist clients in selecting a qualified lawyer. Super Lawyers operates nationwide, but it includes no more than 5% of lawyers in any one state. Only lawyers with the highest percentage of peer-recognition and professional achievement are eligible to receive a Super Lawyers designation.

The Super Lawyers designation is the result of a three-step process. First, potentially qualified lawyers are included in a candidate pool. The Super Lawyers’ research department then evaluates the track record of those candidates. Finally, a Blue Ribbon Review committee narrows the cream of the crop for recognition as a Super Lawyer.

Brian J. White has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for five consecutive years: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Contact us if you would like a Super Lawyer to evaluate your case.

Martindale-Hubbell

Martindale-Hubble Peer Review Ratings are the gold standard. For decades, legal professionals and clients alike have relied on these ratings to determine a lawyer’s ethical standards and legal abilities. Lawyers included in the prestigious Martindale-Hubble directory are rated anonymously by their peers.

The ratings consist of two areas: ethical standards and legal ability. An “A” rating is reserved for lawyers whose peers consider them to maintain the highest level of ethical standards. The “V” rating denotes lawyers whose peers consider them to possess outstanding legal abilities. Legal abilities include five areas: legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication ability, and legal experience. The highest rating a lawyer can receive is an “AV” rating. Brian J. White is an AV rated attorney. Contact us if you would like an AV rated attorney to evaluate your case.

Contact us if you would like a California Certified Criminal Law Specialist to evaluate your case.