Awards & Memberships

Board Certified Criminal Law and DUI Specialist

Founding attorney James N. Dicks is a board-certified criminal law specialist as credited by the California State Bar Association. While there are thousands of licensed attorneys in California, only a handful have gone beyond to become board-certified legal specialists. To be a legal specialist, an attorney must pass a written exam in their specific field, have served as an attorney for more than five years (25% of which they must have practiced in their specialized field), complete additional legal education beyond the normal licensing classes, demonstrate a specialty in their field, and receive positive reviews from fellow attorneys and judges. As of 2021, James Dicks is one of 30 criminal law specialists in San Diego County.

» View Profile

National College for DUI Defense Member

The National College for DUI Defense, Inc., provides high-level courses based around defending clients charged with driving under the influence. As a member, James N. Dicks has demonstrated a commitment to learning and developing new legal strategies to help his clients. In order to join the National College for DUI Defense, Inc., an attorney must have significant experience defending clients in DUI cases, receive a referral from at least two judges or licensed DUI lawyers with at least five years of experience, and pass an independent review.

» View Profile

California DUI Lawyers Association Member

James N. Dicks is a member of the California DUI Lawyers Association, a non-profit organization that advocates for the just treatment of DUI defendants in both criminal courts and DMV hearings. Membership is limited to California DUI attorneys who have dedicated their practices to providing fair representation for DUI defendants.

» Learn More

Avvo Rated 10.0 Superb for Criminal Defense

James N. Dicks has maintained a superb Avvo rating of 10.0 in criminal defense based on over 60 positive reviews due to his commitment to providing knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicate legal representation to every client. Avvo is a trusted legal review website, allowing former and current clients to submit reviews of attorneys across a wide variety of practice areas. Avvo ratings are based on reviews from plaintiffs and defendants as well as public data available for an attorney, including their state bar associations and other legal regulatory groups.

» View Profile

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Member

James N. Dicks is a member of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ), the country's largest statewide organization of criminal defense lawyers. For more than 45 years, the CACJ has upheld the tenets of the United States Constitution to secure due process and equal treatment for all criminal defendants.

» Learn More

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Member

James N. Dicks is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), a collection of criminal defense lawyers who are dedicated to fostering a fair, rational, and humane criminal justice system. The NACDL works to identify flaws in the criminal justice system and advocate for reform to ensure that every defendant receives fair treatment under the law.

» Learn More

Trojan Horse Method

Attorney James Dicks has completed training in the Trojan Horse Method, a criminal justice defense technique that focuses on crafting a story and confidently presenting a defense before a courtroom.

2019 – 2021 Super Lawyers

From 2019 to 2021, attorney James N. Dicks has been selected to the annual Super Lawyers listing. Super Lawyers only selects the top attorneys in each state to be featured in its listing. This award requires a thorough, independent analysis of an attorney’s credentials, cases, and experience, followed by an intensive peer review. Only 5% of attorneys in each state are chosen to be featured in Super Lawyers’ annual listings.

» View Profile