Vallejos-Nichols, Dawn M.

Robert Udashen graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in 1977 where he received the Perry Jones Award as the school's most outstanding criminal law student. Following graduation, Mr. Udashen joined the Staff Counsel for Inmates at the Texas Department of Corrections. There he represented prisoners in all types of post-conviction proceedings.

In 1979 Mr. Udashen left the Staff Counsel for Inmates to become an associate and then a partner in United States Congressman and later Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox's law firm in Dallas, Crowder & Mattox. While there, Mr. Udashen partnered with Don Crowder to successfully defend Candy Montgomery, the so-called axe murderer. The axe murder defense was recreated in a book, Evidence of Love, and in an Emmy award-winning movie, A Killing in a Small Town. CourtTV profiled the case in the fall of 2007 on the show Murder by the Book.

In 2004 Mr. Udashen teamed up with another Crowder, this time Darlina, to represent Lisa Diaz on a charge of capital murder for drowning her two children. Once again the Udashen-Crowder team was successful. Ms. Diaz was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Mr. Udashen is now a partner in the prominent Dallas criminal defense firm of Sorrels, Udashen & Anton where he handles state and federal criminal trials and appeals. In addition, Mr. Udashen is an adjunct professor of Texas Criminal Procedure at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. Mr. Udashen is a past president of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

Mr. Udashen is Board Certified in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law. He is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America, the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who in America. Texas Monthly Magazine has named Mr. Udashen a Texas Super Lawyer every year beginning in 2003. In 2007 Texas Lawyer named Mr. Udashen one of 5 Top Notch criminal defense attorneys in the State of Texas. In multiple years, D Magazine has selected Mr. Udashen as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Dallas.