Biography

NACDL member 1982 to PresentFormer Member of the Board of Directors, NACDL (1990-92); Past President, Wisconsin Assn. of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Past Chair (2005-07) & Member, Board of Directors, State Bar of Wisconsin, Criminal Law Section;  Recipient, NACDL President's Distinguished Service Award (1992); NACDL Champion of Justice Legal Award (2017); John Jay College Fierce Advocate Award (2016); Author: Illusion of Justice: Inside Making a Murderer and America's Broken System (Harper 2017)

Education

• Undergraduate: Indiana University, B.A., 1978
• Law School: University of North Carolina, J.D., 1981

Bar Information

• DC, Fedl. WI, 7th Cir., US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Portland, BS, 1984
• Law School: University of Puget Sound School of Law, JD, 1992

Biography

Life Member

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Kentucky, Economics & Poly Sci, 1972
• Law School: University of Louisville School of Law , J.D., 1986

Bar Information

• Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Kentucky, Southern District of Indiana, US. Court

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: Recinto Universitario de Mayaguez
• Graduate: Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico

Biography

Trial Defense Counsel/Judge Advocate/Captain, Mississippi Army National GuardMember, Mississippi Trial Lawyers AssociationMember, National Trial Lawyers AssociationRecipient, 'Beyond the Call' Award, Mississippi Trial Lawyers AssociationAuthor, Voir Dire MTLA; 'A Double-Edged Sword'

Education

• Undergraduate: University of New Mexico, , 1991
• Graduate: Mississippi College , , 1997

Bar Information

• 5th Cir. Ct. of Appeals, No. Dist. & So. Dist. MS, US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Biography

Member, Board of Dir., AR ACDL

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Arkansas Little Rock, , 1994
• Graduate: University of Arkansas, , 1997

Bar Information

• E., W., 8th Cir., Dist. of AR

Biography

Former Asst. City Prosecutor, Phoenix, ArizonaLife Member, Arizona Attys. for Criminal JusticeMember, Assn. of Trial Lawyers of AmericaExecutive Comm. Member, ATLA Criminal Section (2000)Member, National Coll. for DUI Defense

Education

• Undergraduate: Arizona State University, , 1986
• Law School: University of Arizona College of Law, 1988

Biography

Past President, MN Chapter, Juvenile Diabetes FoundationMember, Bd. of Directors, MN Chapter, Juvenile Diabetes FoundationSelected by peers as Leading Minnesota Attorney, American Research Corp.Listed, Super Lawyers, Minnesota Law and Politics magazine, Mpls St. Paul Magazine, one of the Attorneys of the Year for 2010 from MN Law & Politics

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Manitoba, , 1966
• Law School: William Mitchell College of Law, 1974

Bar Information

• Federal District Ct in MN, WI, ND, SDNY & N. Dist of IL

Biography

Founding Regent, Former Dean,Fellow for the Natl. Coll. for DUI DefenseBoard Certified by the ABA/ Natl. College for DUI DefenseMember, Mississippi Attys. for Constitutional Justice, American Trial Lawyers Assn., NACDL

Education

• Law School: Mississippi College School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1979

Bar Information

• US Dist. Ct., 5th Cir. Ct. of Apps.

Biography

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers 1996-presentCo-Author, Massachusetts Evidence: A Courtroom ReferenceCo-Author, Massachusetts Criminal PracticeCo-Author, Take The Witness: The Experts Speak On Cross-ExaminationMassachusetts Assoc of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Strike Force Co-Chair 1992-2012U.S. Dist. Ct., CJA Board 2001-2015Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission (served under five governors)Best Lawyers In America 1998-2016

Education

• Undergraduate: Holy Cross College, B.A., 1975
• Law School: Boston College Law School, J.D., 1978

Bar Information

• U.S. Dist Ct of Massachusetts 1979; U.S. Court of Appeals (1st Cir) 1982; U.S. Supreme Court 1991

Biography

Biography

Biography

Seth P. Chazin has been a criminal defense attorney in the San Francisco/Bay Area for over 30 years and has been certified by the California State Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Criminal Law Specialist since 2003 - 2024. He has defended thousands of clients in Federal, State and Juvenile courts throughout California, and in several Federal District Courts throughout the United States, facing felony and misdemeanor charges for all types of criminal offenses including capital murder and other homicide cases, complex white collar crimes and sex crimes. He has a particular specialization in representing individuals in sex offense-related cases, trying numerous cases involving serious sex offenses while obtaining acquittals or a misdemeanor conviction in all but one case.

Mr. Chazin began his career as a Deputy Public Defender. He then moved on to work as a Deputy State Public Defender in San Francisco where, along with a colleague, successfully investigated and presented the actual innocence claim of a client on death row for the alleged double murder of a mother and her young son in the Los Angeles area. After numerous appeals and writs over the course of more than 30 years, the death sentence was vacated by the California Supreme Court in 2007, and the client was finally released from custody in 2019 after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the verdict of guilt based on the likelihood that the client did not commit the murders for which he was convicted. This client is one of only five innocent people that have ever been freed from California’s Death Row.

Following his work in the State Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Chazin entered private practice, working at a large criminal defense firm for seven years until he started his own firm in 2003. Since starting his own firm, Mr. Chazin has served on the CJA Trial Panel for the Northern District of California at various times since 2003. In that capacity, he tried one of the first (if not the first) MS-13 gang cases to go to trial on the west coast. Despite, the fear-inducing negative publicity surrounding MS-13, his client was acquitted of all charges following the assertion of an entrapment defense based on the importuning of a government snitch.

Mr. Chazin has also assisted clients for over 30 years in various post-conviction matters including the filing of numerous appeals and writs on behalf of clients in the Ninth Circuit and in various California Courts of Appeal, and has represented clients in parole violation and parole lifer hearings.

Mr. Chazin was a member of the Board of Governors of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) from 2014 until he termed out a few months ago, maintaining an active presence on CACJ’s Legislative Committee for more than 5 years while lobbying state legislators on behalf of CACJ concerning issues and proposed bills that affect the accused. Mr. Chazin is also the current Acting-President and a long-standing member of the Board of Directors of the non-profit organization, Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute, which has been at the forefront of promoting the application of international human rights laws and treaties in US domestic legal matters.

With regard to pro bono service in the legal profession, Mr. Chazin has represented numerous political protesters who were arrested and facing criminal charges since the 1990’s. These clients have included the Wheeler 69 (protesting against the government’s involvement in the Iraq War in 2003), the Oscar Grant protesters, the KPFA/Pacifica Radio strike protesters and others.

Biography

Former Member, Board of Directors, NACDLMember, American Board of Criminal LawyersSpeaker, NACDL Seminars and other Advanced Criminal Law SeminarsAuthor of Articles, BNA "Criminal Practice Manual"

Education

• Undergraduate: Alfred University, , 1976
• Graduate: Suffolk University, , 1979
• Law School: Suffolk University, , 1979

Bar Information

• US Dist. Ct. of Southern TX, NV & Eastern MI, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th

Biography

Former Clerk, AZ Supreme CourtCertified Specialist, Criminal Law, Arizona Board of Legal Specialization

Education

• Undergraduate: St. John FIsher College, , 1967
• Law School: University of Akron Law School, 1970

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Florida, Business-Finance, 1964
• Law School: University of Florida Law School, Juris Doctor, 1967

Biography

Biography

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: Armstrong Atlantic State University, B.G.S., 1999
• Law School: Florida Coastal School of Law, J.D., 2002

Bar Information

• U.S. Supreme Court, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Southern District of Georgia, Middle District of Florida

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: Clark University, B.A. Management, 1985
• Law School: University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1989

Biography

Biography

Biography

Past President, NACDL (1996-97)Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (1997-2024), Recipient, Robert C. Heeney Award, NACDL (1994) Recipient, Ninth Circuit John Frank Award (2015) Recipient, New York State Bar Association, David Michaels Memorial Award (2016), Recipient, American College of Trial Lawyers, Griffin Bell Award for Courageous Advocacy(2017), Former Director Federal Defenders of San Diego (1983-1991) and Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington & Idaho (1992-2002)

Education

• Undergraduate: Furman University, 1974
• Law School: University of South Carolina Law School, 1977

Bar Information

• U.S. Supreme Court

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: Quincy College, BS, 1988
• Law School: St. Louis University, JD, 1991

Bar Information

• 10th Cir. US Ct. of Appeals, US Dist. Ct., Dist. of KS, US Dist. Ct., W. Dist. of MO, US Ct. of