If you’re searching for the best DWI lawyer in Houston and looking up Houston DWI attorney reviews, you’re probably feeling pretty overwhelmed. And it’s only natural, there are many DWI attorneys in Houston and Harris County, and they all seem to make similar claims.
But how can you tell if a lawyer’s claim of being the best DWI lawyer in Houston is true? After all, you’re not just looking for a lawyer; you’re looking for an ally to guide you through the fight of your life.
So what should you look for when trying to find the best DWI lawyer in Texas? Let’s break down some of the things to look for — both good and bad — when searching for a DWI attorney.
Only a handful of lawyers in Texas are legally allowed to call themselves DWI experts
Lawyers are subject to strict regulations as to what they can and cannot say in their marketing. For instance, even if they’ve tried and won 1,000 DWI cases, they cannot legally call themselves a DWI expert unless they have obtained proper Board Certification (more on that later). Why? In order to shield you from false advertising by attorneys who aren’t nearly as good as they say they are.
So, the hurdle for using a word like “expert” in a lawyer’s advertising is a high one. But what about something as subjective as “the best.” Well, there are two important exceptions to keep in mind: client reviews and awards.
Attorneys can’t control what their clients say about them, and if a lawyer has a long list of clients who call them “the best,” then that’s fair game. There are also lots of local awards for “best attorney” in any given practice area. While bad lawyers don’t usually get these awards, they are usually more popularity contests than actual measures of experience and expertise.
If you’re looking for the best DWI lawyer in Houston for you, look for lawyers that are Board Certified
Whether you’re fighting to avoid Texas DWI fines for your first DWI in Texas, or you’re facing real jail time on intoxication manslaughter charges, you need an attorney who actually specializes in DWI defense law to fight your case effectively.
In order for a lawyer to be considered a specialist or an expert in a given area of the law, that lawyer must obtain Board Certification through an extensive testing process. Then and only then can your lawyer call themselves a specialist or an expert in their field, and for good reason: very few lawyers possess the knowledge and experience necessary to obtain Board Certification.
In fact, only five practicing Texas attorneys are Board Certified in DWI Defense Law by the National College for DUI Defense. Only three of those five are also Board Certified in Criminal Law by TBLS. Mark Thiessein is one of those three.
Mark Thiessen is actually triple Board Certified: in Criminal Defense by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, in DWI Defense by the National College for DUI Defense, and in DWI Law by the DUI Defense Lawyers Association. He is the only lawyer in America to pass all 3 of those Board Certifications.
Check for the Super Lawyers designation
When it comes to looking for the best DWI attorney in Houston, awards can be a tricky subject. Any Houston DWI attorney worth your time will have at least a few award logos on their website. But how can you tell which ones actually mean anything?
As we mentioned earlier, some of these awards (like the ones given out by newspapers you’ve never heard of) are mostly popularity contests for the lawyers who buy the most ad space. Even if there’s no pay to play, an award given to lawyers by an organization with no legal clout isn’t necessarily that meaningful.
The best lawyers are the ones recognized by the legal community for their knowledge and accomplishments, and one of the most coveted designations a lawyer can receive from the legal community is Super Lawyer, issued by Thompson Reuter. Lawyers must be nominated for Super Lawyers by their legal peers. From there, they must pass through Thompson Reuter’s patented 12-factor evaluation process — a feat accomplished by only 5% of Texas attorneys.
Not only has Mark Thiessen been recognized as a Super Lawyer annually since 2013, Mark was also ranked among the top 100 lawyers in all of Texas two years in a row — one of only two criminal defense attorneys to achieve this honor (2018 & 2019).
In fact, Mark was the only DWI attorney named to the list of Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas 2018-19. Mark was also the only DWI attorneys to be named to Top 100 Super Lawyers in Houston 2017-19. (The 2020 list is allowed to be announced in September 2020, just in case you are curious.)
Speak to a DWI defense attorney with the right credentials
If you’re looking for the “best” DWI defense attorney in Houston, your search isn’t truly complete until you’ve spoken to Mark Thiessen at the Thiessen Law Firm.
Beyond his Board Certifications and many legal honors, Mark Thiessen knows how to take challenging DWI cases to trial and win.
Whether you found out the hard way that there’s an art to knowing how to sleep in your car when drunk if you don’t want to get arrested, or you’re accused of intoxication manslaughter, Mark Thiessen has real experience winning cases like yours, and is here to help you explore your options.
To speak with DWI expert Mark Thiessen, a top DWI attorney in Harris County, call 713-864-9000 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation today.
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