Vidrine, Dustin

Jeffrey R. Lawrence has been defending clients for over 16 years, primarily in San Bernardino and Riverside County, California.  Mr. Lawrence believes in the power of the United States Constitution and the assumption that each person charged with a crime is, in fact, innocent until proven guilty.  Mr. Lawrence has dedicated his legal career to vigorously defending your guaranteed constitutional rights, and this is the cornerstone of his successful criminal defense practice. 

Here is how he recently answered one of our survey questions:

What work experience and education helped you become a successful criminal defense attorney in the Inland Empire?

I was born in San Bernardino County and raised in Riverside County.  I have lived or worked in numerous cities throughout the inland empire in my lifetime, including San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Big Bear, Twin Peaks, Victorville, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and Indio.  I grew up in a very “blue collar” family, and I put myself through college and law school working in a variety of “blue collar” jobs starting at age 13.  This personal experience and connection with my local communities gives me an edge in preparing your case and speaking to juries on your behalf.  I know the local geography very well and all of the different types of people that inhabit them.

While in high school, I competed successfully in the Riverside County Mock Trial Competition as an attorney, and upon graduation, I received the Law League of the Desert Scholarship.  I knew that I wanted to practice criminal law from a very early age, and so, I geared my college education towards this end as much as I could. 

After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego in 1994, I attended law school at the prestigious University of San Diego.  While I was attending USD law, I was able to "try out" both sides of the criminal law.  I completed 3 different internships while I was still at USD.  I was a law clerk at the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, the San Diego Public Defender's Office, and the San Diego Alternate Public Defender's Office for about 3 months each.

Upon graduating from USD school of law in 1997, I sat for and passed the California State Bar Exam on my first attempt.  While I was applying for jobs, I made appearances for other attorneys, until I was hired by the San Bernardino County Public Defender's Office in 1998.  I worked as a Deputy Public Defender in that office for over 12 years.  During my time, there, I embraced the opportunity to learn every aspect of criminal defense practice and to fine tune my craft.  I proved my ability to efficiently and effectively handle a very high volume of misdemeanor cases very quickly, and so, I was promoted to do felony trial work after less than a year on the job.

In addition to handling thousands of adult misdemeanor and felony cases of all types as a Deputy Public Defender, I worked exclusively in the Juvenile courts for 4 years, where I received the “Outstanding Attorney of the Year” award in 2005, the only time it was given out.  I was also a pioneering member of the Central Homicide Panel, which formed in the office in 2008.  While there, despite having to handle upwards of 15 murder cases at a time, I was able to negotiate several great deals for my clients, and I successfully tried many cases to jury verdict with great results.  I still annually attend various legal seminars to ensure that I stay on top of new issues, and I, myself, have lectured to several local attorneys over the years on a variety of topics such as new legal developments, trial tactics, criminal discovery, juvenile law, homicide law, and gang cases.

I opened my private practice in 2010, recognizing that there was a very high demand for competent criminal defense attorneys in the Inland Empire, and I haven't looked back since.