David H. Brown Law LLC

“I can’t change the rules, but I can make the process more human.” 

I am a criminal defense attorney committed to serving underrepresented populations skillfully and compassionately at all levels and through all stages of the criminal system. Effective advocacy must be tailored to situations at hand and requires constructively communicating options to the client, which — given the number of defendants with mental illness—is why I have focused on the intersection between the criminal justice and mental health systems for nearly a decade. My engagement with the system gives me a broader range of understanding that has consistently enabled me to achieve positive outcomes for my clients.

Experience >

Defending someone facing charges ranging from stop sign violations to murder at any stage in the criminal justice system requires a calm, purposeful approach no matter the circumstances. Whether I am meeting a client just after being arrested, once indicted, or well into their case, my engaging calmly and purposefully allows me to assess the situation quickly and accurately. I can then tailor my response to both my client’s specific needs and the immediate situation. Tailoring is especially important  because criminal defense is not a one-size fits all proposition. And each client deserves the specific response they and their circumstances require.

When you face criminal charges as an adult or in the juvenile justice system, you need an attorney who understands the scope of what you face and how to address all relevant factors that impact how you found yourself in that situation and how to render a successful resolution. I do this by listening to you and integrating your circumstances and needs into defending and resolving your case. This is about you. That said, I have made it my mission to to understand and address the impact the legal system has on individuals so that I can provide appropriate defenses and offer accurate solutions.

Advocacy requires more than just knowing the law. Advocacy requires an understanding of the relevant systems, factors underpinning clients’ behavior, and a willingness to get to know your client. It is a given that successfully resolving client matters often has more to do with the circumstances and expectations of those involved—clients, victims, prosecutors, and judges—and then knowing how to craft a strategy that addresses the circumstances and concerns so you get a positive resolution, even when there is not a solid legal defense. Because I recognized this early on in my career, I have constantly engaged in learning as much as I can about all of the systems impacting criminal justice and the impact of mental illness on criminal defendants within criminal justice, so that I can be as strong an advocate as possible for those I serve.