2024 Fall Seminar Austin

Michael Kessler, JD

Michael Kessler is known throughout the Treasure Coast as the Go-To-Guy for DUI.

Mr. Kessler is a 1985 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Mr. Kessler is a Board Certified Criminal Trial Specialist. He was identified as a “Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics Magazine in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the first Treasure Coast lawyer to be so honored five consecutive years.

Mr. Kessler has been awarded the highest possible rating by both Martindale-Hubbell and Avvo, the leading consumer agencies that evaluate lawyers.

An active member of DUIDLA, Michael Kessler is certified to administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests approved for use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and is also certified to administer breath alcohol tests using the Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 machines. Mr. Kessler owns his own Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 breath-alcohol guessing contraptions.

Mr. Kessler founded and manages The Kessler Law Firm, whose offices are in Fort Pierce and Key West. Mr. Kessler has taught at DUI Defense seminars in Atlanta, Columbus, Ohio, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Fort Pierce, Stuart, West Palm Beach, Key West and Orlando, as well as aboard a Carribean cruise ship.

He is the co-author of The DUI BOOK: Florida Edition, along with prominent Atlanta DUI lawyer William C. “Bubba” Head.

His clients have included American League Most Valuable Player Miguel Cabrera, St. Lucie County Judge Kathryn Nelson and Molly Hatchett lead guitarist David Hlubek.

 

Amber Vazquez, JD

Amber Vazquez has had years of misdemeanor, felony and federal trial experience and has a full service staff to attend to her clients’ needs. After graduating from the University of Texas, she attended law school at the University of Denver College of Law, where she served as vice-president of the student body, served as president of the DU Political forum and wrote several articles on international human rights, criminal law and politics.

Amber is a passionate and zealous advocate who always outs her clients interests first. She has built her firm around the idea that every client deserves the best representation possible, and is always willing to take cases to trial if necessary.

Amber cares about how criminal justice affects our community, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Truth Be Told, a non-profit organization that assists women in prison get the counseling, education and support to transition out of prison. In addition, she is actively involved in the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the National Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

She is also well connected in the legal community and currently serves as Chairperson for the Criminal Justice Section of the Austin Bar Association as well as serving as Vice-President of the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section YLD.

In her spare time, Amber loves being with her husband, three dogs and one cat, gardening, cooking, running, yoga and watching movies.

 

Makenzie Zarate, JD, ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist

Makenzie spent her early years in Red Oak, Texas, and later moved to
Dallas, where she graduated from Bishop Lynch High School. It was there during a class field trip to the criminal courthouse that she realized she wanted to be a criminal defense attorney. Makenzie went on to study Pre-Law at Texas Tech University, where she received a communications degree with minors in both Legal Studies and Spanish. Makenzie continued her education at the Texas Tech University School of Law, graduating cum laude in May 2019. 

In her free time, Makenzie enjoys playing team sports, board games, trivia – and most other activities that tailor to her competitive spirit. She is also a huge Dallas sports fan. Makenzie enjoys riding her Harley, hanging out with her three dachshunds, and camping with her family. She also trains and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 

Lawyer Stuff:  

Makenzie knew she wanted to defend the accused early on in her educational journey. She completed a short internship with the juvenile public defender in Dallas while still in high school. As an undergraduate student at Texas Tech, Makenzie lived in a Pre-Law learning community and worked part-time as a runner and law clerk for local Lubbock defense attorneys. 

While in law school, Makenzie was selected to participate in the Criminal Defense Clinic where she represented more than two dozen indigent clients on various criminal cases. She received the “Top Grade Award” for her work there. Makenzie was also selected for membership in the Texas Tech Law Review after completing a writing competition for which she won the Darby Dickerson Top Writing Award. This award is reserved for the student who receives the competition’s top score. She was one of eight students selected for publication in Vol. 51 for her criminal law article entitled Bullies Behind Bars: How Changes to Statewide Cyberbullying Policy May Do More Harm Than Good.\

Makenzie has been recognized for her work in indigent defense. In addition to serving on the Pro Bono Board, she received the Brendan Murray Criminal Defense Public Service Award, the Elma Moreno Graduating Student of the Year Award, and the Judge Ken G. Spencer Award. She graduated from the Texas Tech School of Law in May 2019, passing the Bar, and becoming licensed to practice later that year. 

Experience

After nearly a year of practice in Ellis County, Makenzie joined the Deandra Grant Law team. 

In 2020, Makenzie completed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)/International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Program. This training has been a cornerstone in enhancing her courtroom skills through her understanding of field sobriety test administration. Additionally, she has completed a comprehensive course on the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP/DRE) utilizing the 2023 NHTSA & IACP curriculum.

Starting in 2021, Makenzie undertook an intensive 160-hour analytical lab training program at Axion Labs in Chicago. The program included a series of hands-on courses in forensic gas chromatography, solid drug analysis, and forensic DUID. In October 2023, she earned her Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the American Chemical Society. 

Makenzie has presented at DWI seminars both in Texas and out of state.
Makenzie works out of the Dallas office and handles cases in the DFW area. She has handled dozens of jury trials to verdict and is currently the Chief of DGL’s DWI Trial Division.

 

Sorsha Huff, JD

Sorsha Huff was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but Texas has been her home since before she can remember. Sorsha grew up in Austin, went to law school in Waco, and has set down roots in DFW.  

Sorsha’s passion for “crimmigration” stems from a Spanish language elective that started as a middle school requirement and became a lifelong love. Since then, Sorsha has had the good luck to travel widely, including several weeks in Peru and a semester abroad in Spain. Shortly after graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2015, Sorsha attended Baylor Law School, where she coordinated the immigration clinic, argued in national moot court competitions, and completed the criminal law specialty track. After law school Sorsha walked the Camino de Santiago across Spain with her father.

Sorsha got married to her dazzling wife Presh in the summer of 2023, right before Presh started law school herself. Together they are active members of local LGBTQ+ rights organizations and dote on their pet cat, Peanut. When not practicing law, Sorsha can be found baking, painting, or reading memoirs of her favorite heroes like Muhammad Ali and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Lawyer Stuff:

Baylor’s intensive Practice Court program made Sorsha “courtroom ready,” an invaluable experience that helped her pursue her dream of practicing criminal defense and immigration right out of law school. Sorsha’s career began in criminal defense firms in Fort Worth and Addison, where she expanded her practice to include tickets, post-conviction relief, Spanish-speaking clients, expunctions, and nondisclosures. Sorsha never worked for a district attorney’s office because she would dismiss too many cases.

Since joining Deandra Grant Law in 2022, Sorsha has been in trial almost non-stop. When not in trial she can be found in court walking her clients through every step of the process of defending a case. Additionally, as the Immigration Division Chief, Sorsha and her team are passionate about helping families with removal defense, U-Visa applications, green card and DACA renewals, FOIA requests and criminal advisories. 

 

Heather Harris, MFS, JD, ABC-CC, ABC-DA

Heather L. Harris is an Assistant Professor and an independent forensic chemistry consultant and a PA licensed attorney.  Ms. Harris holds a Master of Forensic Science from The George Washington University, where she was also a laboratory and recitation instructor in the Department of Chemistry.  Ms. Harris then went on to the Bexar County Criminal Investigation Laboratory in San Antonio, TX where she was a Forensic Scientist working primarily in drug analysis and clandestine lab analysis.  Upon relocating to Philadelphia, Ms. Harris began working at NMS Labs as a Forensic Chemist.  It was also at this time that she attended Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.   After successfully passing the PA bar exam, Ms. Harris began working independently as a forensic chemistry consultant for the Defender Association of Philadelphia as well as a number of private attorneys.  She joined the faculty at Arcadia University in January 2017 and has been associated with the program since January 2007 as an adjunct faculty. In addition, Harris is on the faculty at Axion Labs. 

 

Deandra Grant, JD, GC, MS, ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer Scientist

AV-rated attorney Deandra Grant is the Managing Partner of Deandra Grant Law’s 7 offices in Texas and is an international speaker on DWI law, science and trial skills.  

A graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio with a degree in business (Finance) and Southern Methodist University’s School of Law, Grant went on to earn a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Science – Concentration in Forensic Science from the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy in 2016.  In 2019 Grant joined the faculty at Axion Analytical Labs as an Assistant Chromatography Instructor.  She also serves on the faculty of the Borkenstein Drug Course.

Grant is the author of the annually updated book, The Texas DWI Manual (James Publishing), as well as 13 “Surviving Your DWI” county-specific books. She has been trained as a Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor and has completed the Drug Recognition Overview course.  She was the first attorney in Texas to pass the Forensic Sobriety Assessment Certification exam.  In addition, Grant has completed coursework in DWI forensic blood and urine testing and was trained as an operator and maintenance technician of the Intoxilyzer 5000.  Deandra has certificates in Forensic Chromatography: Theory & Practice (2011 & 2015), Forensic Analysis of Solid Drugs (2014) and Forensic Principles of DUID (2015) issued by Axion Labs and the American Chemical Society.  In 2015, Grant earned the distinction of being named an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist.  

Grant is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (Board Member 2011-2016), the Dallas Bar Association, the Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (Board Member 2007-2019, Treasurer 2020, President-Elect 2021, President 2022), the American Chemical Society and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. In addition, she is a Charter Member, President-Emeritus and Executive Director of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association.  

D Magazine has named Grant to its list of Best Women Lawyers and Best Lawyers in Dallas. Fort Worth Magazine has named her a Top Lawyer in Fort Worth. She’s been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” for 12 years and one of Texas’ Top-Rated Lawyers.  Best Lawyers in Dallas named her one of the Top 10 DWI Lawyers in Dallas. 

On a personal note, Grant is the Vice President of Living the Doxie Dream Rescue & Sanctuary in Royse City, Texas. She devotes much of her time to fundraising efforts for their rescue dogs.  She has been married to Eric Clendenin for over 20 years and is the proud mom of Keegan and Rowan.

 

Sarah Schielke, JD

Sarah Schielke (pronounced “shell-key”) was born and raised in Rochester, New York (go Bills). She attended Middlebury College in Vermont where she received a B.A. in Psychology and graduated magna cum laude. Sarah then went on to law school at the Boston University School of Law on a full academic merit scholarship. There, she was the Managing Editor of the Boston University Law Review. After law school, Sarah packed up her bags, rounded up her dogs, and moved out to Colorado where she opened her own criminal defense and civil rights law practice.

In over thirteen years of practicing since, Sarah has become an experienced trial lawyer with an unmatched winning record. She has a reputation for being one of the most intelligent, passionate, and creative attorneys in the country. When the playing field changes, she adapts; when the playing field is unfair, she innovates. Sarah is fearless, expertly determined, wonderful to know, and exhausting to oppose.

In 2023, Sarah was named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year, an award recognizing “strong and resilient women who have been champions of change across the country,” for her work in the civil rights field. This work includes Sarah obtaining a record-breaking $3,000,000 settlement in the internationally publicized case of Karen Garner v. City of Loveland in 2021, and then just a year later, her obtaining yet another record-breaking $7,000,000 settlement in the police tasing case of Michael Clark v. Idaho Springs. Sarah also received DUIDLA’s “Badass Award” in 2021 – the organization’s highest honor – for her work on two United States Supreme Court case amicus briefs and for her impact in the civil rights and DUI defense fields.

Sarah has been repeatedly named a Rising Stars SuperLawyer for DUI Defense (2018-present). She regularly lectures and presents all over the country regarding marijuana, alcohol and drug DUI defense strategy. Her material on Winning Marijuana DUIs has been published in the Texas DWI Manual. Sarah is on the Executive Committee and serves as President to the national DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). She is married and has three kids, five dogs, and a definitely normal preoccupation with the band Phish.

 

Jim Butler, JD, ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist

James “Jim” R. Butler was born and raised in Waco, Texas. He graduated from Baylor University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He then moved on to graduate from South Texas College of Law in 1992 with a Juris Doctor degree. Jim Butler was licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1993.

During Law School, his focus was Criminal Law and Trial Advocacy. After a two year internship with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Butler knew that his calling in life wasn’t to prosecute people, but to help those in need of defense.“I chose DWI because I really want to help people,” says Butler. “My clients are good, hardworking people. When they come to me, they’re worried about the future—they’re afraid of losing their jobs, they’re concerned that their insurance rates will go up.”

“My goal is to help my clients return to normal, productive lives.” When he is not in the courtroom, Jim Butler is often on the gymnastics floor with daughter, Sophia or on the football field with son Connor. He and his wife enjoy cooking dinner together and as an avid motorcycle enthusiast, Butler can often be seen riding his Harley around town.

 

Richard Middlebrook, JD, ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist

Richard Middlebrook is a ten-year Southern California Super Lawyer and is considered the preeminent DUI attorney in the San Joaquin Valley. He focuses on the representation of persons accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and the forensic science associated with those areas. Richard has 29 years of legal experience that’s specifically focused on DUI law. He spends hundreds of hours a year attending, moderating, and lecturing at DUI seminars throughout the world to assist those defending allegations of driving under the influence while expanding his own knowledge and expertise.

He is a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association and served on its board since its founding. He is also a Sustaining Member of the National College of DUI Defense and a Specialist Member of the California DUI Lawyers Association and also sits on its board. He is trained as an Instructor in the administration of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

He has tried over 280 DUI cases throughout his career with only 8 losses. He has acted as lead counsel in over 15,000 administrative hearings, writ proceedings, motions, and appeals. His success rates in those proceedings are unmatched anywhere in California. Additionally, he is the only lawyer in California who holds all the following distinctions:

• ACS-CHAL Lawyer Scientist
• Martingale.com AV rating
• AVVO rating perfect 10, and
• Southern California SuperLawyer

Brian Blades

Brian Blades is a Co-founder of Scorpion Internet Marketing and the Sr. Vice President of its criminal and DUI defense division. With over 20 years’ experience, Brian is an expert in digital marketing for DUI attorneys and speaks frequently at both state and national criminal defense conferences about revenue growth strategies for small firms. Brian lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

 

Alli Cannon, JD, ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist

Alli Cannon is a Texas state licensed attorney and certified mediator working exclusively with DWI cases in Houston. She is the owner of Cannon Law, a solo practice dedicated to tackling DWI cases and approaching litigation with a science and education driven process. 

Alli was born and raised in The Woodlands, Texas. She obtained her bachelor’s degree after 3 short years at The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Barrett, the Honors College of Arizona State University. After returning to Texas, Alli attended the South Texas College of Law, where she received her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and became a certified mediator through the Frank Evans School for Conflict Resolution. She is licensed through the State Bar of Texas.

Recognized by the American Chemical Society, she is the youngest female attorney to ever hold the Lawyer-Scientist designation. This signifies her completion of a rigorous series of courses designed to educate lawyers on the physical and chemical aspects of intoxicants, intoxication, and the laboratory methods most often conducted to identify each. With this specialized education and a firm focused strictly on handling DWI cases, Alli is resolved to remedy what she sees as flaws in how DWI cases are handled.

 

Dr. Evan Stern, DO

Dr. Evan Stern, DO, completed an anatomic and clinical pathology residency at The George Washington University and fellowships in surgical pathology and cytopathology at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and New York Presbyterian Weill-Cornell, respectively. He is board-certified in Anatomic, Clinical, and Cytopathology and is currently the director of microbiology and cytopathology at the Southern Arizona Veteran Affairs Healthcare System. Dr. Stern is very excited to join the faculty and help bridge the gap between legal and scientific applications of DUI defense.

 

Dr. Lance Platt, PhD

Lance A. Platt, Ph.D., President and founding partner of Platt and Associates, earned a doctorate in Educational Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University located in College Station, Texas after serving as a certified master peace officer with the city of College Station, Texas.

Among his many responsibilities, he was in charge of training new recruits.

Doctor Platt was later named Coordinator for the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DRE) at Texas A&M’s TEEX Law Enforcement Training Division. Additionally, he was an adjunct instructor at several colleges, where he provided training in law enforcement based on his in-depth first hand knowledge of police practice and procedure.

Doctor Platt’s unique combination of doctorate-level education and street level law enforcement experience led him to co-found Walden Platt and Associates in 2002, which later became Platt and associates Impaired driving Consulting in 2008, which has become the premiere consulting firm specializing in impaired driving and police tactics and procedure cases throughout the US and beyond.  You can rely on consistent top quality results because Dr. Platt insists on personally reviewing each case his firm accepts.

Doctor Platt’s dissertation was entitled An Evaluation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test at a .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration for the State of Texas.

 

JAN SEMENOFF, BA, EMA, Forensic Criminalist | Editor In Chief, Counterpoint: Journal of Law and Science

Jan Semenoff is the principal editor of Counterpoint and is well-known across Canada and the United States as an experienced Forensic Criminalist. He has testified as an expert in breath alcohol testing, SFST, and DRE issues in more than 150 jury trials, and has presented at more than 60 state, national and international conferences. He has been teaching science to professionals since 1986. He officially founded his parent company, Industrial Training & Design Ltd. in 1995. His ability to make complex scientific and forensic concepts understandable has made him a sought-after speaker in North America. ​ Jan (pronounced “Yawn”), studied social and physical sciences and educational theory at the University of Saskatchewan. Jan earned an Advanced Certificate in Police Studies from the Canadian Police College and was an Instructor at the Saskatchewan Police College. He has been a member of numerous advisory boards, and association executives over the years.

Jan worked as an Emergency Medical Assistant with the local ambulance service for four years, then joined the Saskatoon Police Service. After an 18-year career as a Senior Constable and Violent Crimes Analyst, Jan retired and began teaching full-time with Industrial Training & Design Ltd. He has worked with many areas of industry including agriculture, food, mining, chemical, and steel, conducting workplace health and safety investigations, developing policies and procedures, and creating custom training programs for varied levels of learners from laborers, to lawyers, to scientists.

Because of his policing background and extensive experience with breath alcohol testing, Jan became involved with lawyers and other legal and forensic professionals who looked to him for an understanding regarding the science behind the tests. He has collaborated with lawyers, scientists, investigators, investigative reporters, and toxicologists across Canada and in dozens of jurisdictions across the United States, bringing a fresh perspective to the science involved in legal practice. He was the principal technical advisor to The New York Times in their year-long investigation on breath testing deficiencies in North America, and has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets, including newspapers, radio, and television.

He has been married to Susan Reschny for more than 30 years. When Jan is not traveling, he enjoys spending time with his wife and adult sons. He is an avid photographer who enjoys woodworking, hiking, fly-fishing, scuba diving, cooking and discovering inane trivia to drive them all nuts.

 

Don Egdorf

Don Egdorf is an independent impaired driving expert based out of Houston, Texas. 

Don was a Houston Police Officer for over 22 years and retired in September 2023 as a Detective / Sergeant. For almost 20 years, Don was assigned to the DWI Task Force at the Westside and Traffic Enforcement Divisions. After becoming a Certified SFST Practitioner, Don obtained certification as a Breath Testing Operator, Drug Recognition Expert, SFST Instructor and DRE Instructor. IN addition to DWI training, Don obtained certifications in Accident Investigation 1, Accident Investigation 2 and Vehicle Dynamics through Northwestern University. 

Don has worked thousands of DWI cases and specialized in working DWI fatal crashes. During his career, Don taught all over the country at specialized DWI trainings for police officers and attorneys. Don was assigned to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a liaison officer between HPD and the DAO’s Vehicular Crimes Section. During that time, he assisted in investigating, evaluation and prosecuting over a thousand fatal crash cases. 

In 2019 Don was appointed to a three-year term on the MADD National Board of Directors and was the vice-chair for two of those years. 

Don is a veteran of the United States Air Force and served with the USAF Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. 

When he isn’t working, Don loves to travel with his wife Frances and is an avid wildlife and landscape photographer. 

 

Paul Doroshenko, K.C.

Paul Doroshenko, K.C. is an experienced Vancouver Criminal lawyer who devotes his practice exclusively to criminal defence, drunk driving law and driving cases. He ensures first and foremost that his clients avoid a criminal record. He has been a Vancouver lawyer since 2000.

During his career as a leading Vancouver Criminal Lawyer, Paul Doroshenko, K.C. has handled a wide range of criminal matters, from serious impaired driving cases, sexual assaults, white collar crime to shoplifting. He and his law office have successfully defended over ten thousand cases in British Columbia.

Paul ensures his clients are fully informed about their case as it progresses. He advances the best interests of his clients. By representing good people who have simply made a mistake and found themselves in trouble with the law, Paul can often turn back the clock and put his clients back in the position they were in before they were arrested.

Paul has been the leading opponent of the British Columbia DUI legislation concerning 90-Day IRP Immediate Roadside Prohibitions. He has delivered and chaired presentations to the BC Trial Lawyers Association and the Canadian Bar Association on topics of DUI law in BC and how to handle hit and run investigations. He co-authored a paper on the Latest Developments in the IRP Immediate Roadside Prohibition Regime. He has presented to lawyers on Canadian DUI Law at seminars in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Texas, California, Illinois, and South Carolina. He is often sought after for comment on the developments in DUI law in BC.

Paul is on the board of directors of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association. He is an active member of the National College for DUI Defense, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the California DUI Lawyer’s Association, and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC. He has completed the police training to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests in accordance with the NHTSA guidelines and police Drug Recognition.

He is the only lawyer in British Columbia who owns and operates a vast collection of police breathalyzers and Approved Instruments including the Alco-Sensor FST Approved Screening Device,  Intoximeters Intox EC/IR II, BAC Datamaster, Alco-Sensor IV DWF, Alco-Sensor V XL, Alcometer SL2, Intoxilyzer 400 and the Intoxilyzer 5000. Paul has operated and calibrated the most commonly used Approved Screening Devices (ASD) used in British Columbia. With an understanding of the law, electronics, mechanical engineering and computers, Paul is uniquely skilled to challenge breath test results.

 

Kim Keheley Frye, JD
Kim Keheley Frye is an experienced Georgia criminal defense trial attorney with over 50+ felony and misdemeanor jury trials. A graduate of the University of Georgia and the Georgia State University School of Law. Previously working as a prosecutor in both felony and misdemeanor court gives Kim special insight into the workings of the prosecution and law enforcement. In 2008, Frye Law Group was born as a law office to champion and protect the rights of the accused. Kim has lectured in Georgia, nationally, and internationally on topics relating to criminal defense. She is an approved mentor of new law students entering the profession and has trained and assisted many young lawyers early in their quest to become trial attorneys. 

Attorney Frye is a 2013 graduate of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers college and has previously served on the faculty. Knowing that the best defense is a strong offense, she seeks out every opportunity to continually improve her trial skills. Kim has held chair and vice president positions in many bar, legal and community organizations— Cobb County Bar Association, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, DUI Defense Lawyers Association.

Kim has completed training and holds certificates in the following: Standardized Field Sobriety, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, DNA for Lawyers, Forensic Chromatography- Theory and Practice, Forensic Drug Analysis, and Forensic Principles of DUID. She has been named a lawyer-scientist by the American Chemical Society based on her course work and the passing of a rigorous exam. 

As a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Charter Member of DUIDLA, and as a previous faculty member of the Trial Lawyers College, she enjoys a national and international network of friends and esteemed colleagues to collaborate with around the world. Kim has been named a Super Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell AV rating and was chosen by her peers for the Jimmy D. Berry Champion of Justice Award in 2022.

She loves karaoke and the pool on a hot day.  She is known to select an Italian red wine with her dinner.  She likes kayaking, camping and 5-star hotels. 

 

David Ball

David Ball (Malekpour Ball Consulting) is the nation’s most influential trial consultant. With partner Artemis Malekpour, he guides plaintiff’s civil cases and criminal defense cases across the country. They are the nation’s only trial consultants qualified to help attorneys with Reptilian methods and strategy, as well as with Ball’s David Ball on Damages techniques and a wide range of other essential approaches. They have an unparalleled record in helping attorneys with every size and kind of case.

Dr. Ball is also a pioneer in adapting methods of film and theater for use in trial. His theater/film students hold Oscars, Obies, Tonys, and Emmys. His Theater Tips and Strategies for Jury Trialshas been a bestseller for nearly two decades, and his Backwards and Forwards has been a foundation of theater and film training since 1984.

Dr. Ball wrote two of the bestselling trial strategy books ever published: David Ball on Damages and—with Reptile cofounder Don Keenan—Reptile: The 2009 Manual of the Plaintiff’s Revolution. His latest book is The Rule Out Method of Criminal Defense. 

Dr. Ball is an award-winning teacher for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the American Association for Justice’s National College of Advocacy. He has also taught law students at North Carolina, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Campbell law schools, and at Duke Law as a senior lecturer. He has long been the nation’s most in-demand continuing legal education speaker.

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Thursday Session: Sept 5, 2024 [285 minutes]
9:00 am – 12:00 pm	DUIDLA BOARD CERTIFICATION EXAM
10:30 am – 12:00 pm	DUIDLA Committee Meetings
11:00 – 11:45 am	Registration
11:45 am – 12:00 pm	Homeroom: Announcements (Michael Kessler, Course Director & Tim Huey, CLE Chair)
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm	In School Suspension: Suppression & Motions Practice (Amber Vazquez, JD – TX)
12:45 pm – 12:50 pm	Commercial Break
12:50 pm – 1:35 pm	Foreign Language Class: DWI Lingo to Know (Makenzie Zarate, JD – TX)
1:35 pm – 1:40 pm	Commercial Break
1:40 pm – 2:25 pm	Extracurricular Activities: DWI Ramifications (Sorsha Huff, JD – TX)
2:25 pm – 2:40 pm	BREAK (snacks!)
2:40 pm – 3:40 pm	School Mixer: Mixed Drug DWI Cases (Heather Harris, MFS, JD, ABC-CC, ABC-DA – PA)
3:40 pm – 3:45 pm	Commercial Break
3:45 pm – 4:30 pm	Class Reunion: If Only I Had Known… (Deandra Grant, JD, GC, MS – TX)
4:30 pm – 4:35 pm	Commercial Break
4:35 pm – 5:20 pm	Principal’s Office: When Cops Behave Badly (Sarah Schielke, JD – CO)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm	DUIDLA Homecoming Party!
Friday Session: Sept 6, 2024 [315 minutes]
8:15 am – 9:00 am	Light Breakfast
8:45 am – 9:00 am	Homeroom: Announcements (Makenzie Zarate, Course Director)
9:00 am – 9:45 am	Study Hall: Preparing Your Case for Trial (Jim Butler, JD – TX)
9:45 am – 9:50 am	Commercial Break
9:50 am – 10:35 am	Game Time Huddle: Preparing Your Client to Testify (Richard Middlebrook, JD – TX)
10:35 am – 10:55 am	BREAK (Bloody Mary/Mimosa Bar & snacks!)
10:55 am – 11:25 am	Story Time: Brand Building & Learning How to Tell Your Firm’s Story (Brian Blades, Scorpion, Platinum Sponsor)
11:25 am – 11:45 am	ACS-CHAL Lawyer-Scientist Recognition, DUIDLA Prize Wheel & Terry Wapner Award Ceremony
11:45 am – 12:10 pm	Grab Lunch (provided)
12:10 pm – 12:40 pm	Chemistry 101: Understanding Blood Alcohol Analysis (Dr. Lee Polite, PhD, MS, NREMT – Axion Labs)
12:40 pm – 1:25 pm	Math 101: Understanding Measurement Principles (Alli Cannon, JD – TX)
1:25 pm – 1:30 pm	Commercial Break
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm	Cliffs Notes on Autopsies: Analyzing Death Cases with a M.E. (Dr. Evan Stern, DO – FL)
2:15 pm – 2:20 pm	Commercial Break
2:20 pm – 3:20 pm	PE: Mechanics of SFST’s (Dr. Lance Platt, PhD – TX)
3:20 pm – 4:00 pm	PHOTOS – DUIDLA Board, Officers, District Reps, State Ambassadors
4:00 pm – 4:45 pm	DUIDLA BOARD MEETING (all DUIDLA members welcome to attend)
Saturday Session – Sept 7, 2024 [250 minutes]
8:15 am – 8:45 am	Light Breakfast
8:30 am – 9:00 am	New AAFS Guidelines on Retrograde (Jan Semenoff)
9:00 am – 9:45 am	Test Prep: Every Question You Should Have Asked the DRE (Don Egdorf, retired HPD – TX)
9:45 am – 9:50 am	Commercial Break
9:50 am – 10:35 am	Music 101: Ethical Legal Marketing (Paul Doroshenko, QC, BA, LLB – Canada)
10:35 am – 10:40 am	Commercial Break
10:40 am – 11:25 am	Philosophy 101: Knowing Your Limits (Michael Kessler, JD – FL)
11:25 am – 11:40 am	BREAK (Heavy Snacks!)
11:40 am – 12:00 pm	Intoxalock – Diamond Sponsor
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm	School Board Meeting: Ethical Marketing and Business Practices (Kim Keheley Frye, JD – GA)
12:45 pm – 12:50 pm	Commercial Break
12:50 pm – 1:45 pm	The “Rule Out Method” of Criminal Defense (David Ball)
1:45 pm	Final Wrap Up (Course Directors)
Total CLE Hours	850 minutes 60 min states = 14.17 hours 50 min states = 17 hours Ethics = 1.30 hours **Vendor presentations not included in calculation