Rosenstein Law Group announced that one of its attorneys, Jefferson Simmons, has become a certified Criminal Law Specialist by the State Bar of Arizona.  This certification makes Rosenstein Law Group the only law firm in Maricopa County to have both a Certified DUI Defense Attorney and a Certified Criminal Law Specialist on its staff.

“We’re thrilled for Jefferson as only top attorneys in their chosen specialty earn board certification from the State Bar of Arizona,” said Craig Rosenstein, Founding Partner of Rosenstein Law Group.  “Being the only firm in Maricopa County with attorneys certified in both Criminal Law and DUI Defense is noteworthy to our peers, but it also gives our clients even greater confidence in our abilities.”

To be a Certified Specialist by the State Bar of Arizona, an attorney must have proven experience in a particular area of law to achieve the status of specialist.  A member must meet the following minimum standards for specialization in Criminal Law:

  • Admission to the practice of law for seven years
  • Admission to the State Bar of Arizona for 2 years immediately preceding submission of the application
  • Devotion of at least 50% of a full-time practice to the specialty area
  • Substantial involvement in the certification area for 4 of the 6 years immediately preceding submission of the application
  • Additionally, peer review is conducted and a written examination must be passed.

Jefferson Simmons attended Westminster College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.  Following his undergraduate education, Mr. Simmons attended Syracuse University College of Law. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, Mr. Simmons interned at the prestigious law firm, Metz Lewis LLC in Pittsburgh, PA where he was involved in all aspects of commercial litigation. There he researched and wrote memoranda for law on a variety of topics and was involved in all aspects of pretrial litigation. Mr. Simmons earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Syracuse University College of Law in May of 2006.

While in law school, Mr. Simmons accepted an offer from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) and moved to Arizona upon graduation.  After being admitted to the Arizona bar he started working at MCAO as a prosecutor and moved quickly through the ranks gaining invaluable courtroom experience. In his early years, he prosecuted all types of crimes in the Juvenile Bureau for MCAO, from DUI to burglary and car theft.  After moving up to the Criminal Trial Division Bureau at MCAO Mr. Simmons successfully prosecuted adult felonies ranging from Drug Possession to Aggravated Assault.

Mr. Simmons career quickly ascended to the Major Crimes Division. While working in the Major Crimes-Special Crimes Bureau, Mr. Simmons prosecuted home invasion and kidnapping cases with Phoenix Police’s Home Invasion and Kidnapping Enforcement Unit (HIKE).  Mr. Simmons has received numerous awards for his trial work over a 4 year period. He also received special recognition from the Commander of the Robbery Division for his skills as a litigator and exceptional work with Robbery Detectives. Mr. Simmons has represented hundreds of clients with charges ranging from DUI to Aggravated Assault, with an emphasis on DUI defense.  Mr. Simmons’ track record in Court and within the legal community has proven him to be an accomplished attorney, who has gained the reputation of being a tireless advocate and providing superior representation to his clients.

In addition to Simmons’ Criminal Law certification, Founding Partner Craig Rosenstein is certified by the National College of DUI Defense, the only organization authorized by the American Bar Association to accredit Board Certification in DUI Defense, making him one of only three Board Certified DUI Defense attorneys in the State of Arizona.