Licensed for 14 years

State PA

Acquired 2008

Status
Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Matthew Jared Rapa

Criminal defense Attorney at Allentown, PA

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Exceptional Defense

I had received a DUI of the highest tier and was essentially preparing myself to attend jail. While reviewing facets of the case he was extraordinarily detailed, intelligent, and acted deliberately and ceaselessly. It was clear that despite his caseload he handled my case with the care and actually spent time with it. He also answered any questions I called him up for throughout the duration of the case. Even as we entered the courtroom I was prepared to spend jail time, but he fought with effort even at the final moments of my case. Ultimately, his unrelenting defense coupled with my own compliance with requirements of the legal allowed me to avoid any time in jail. Matthew Rapa possesses an excellent prowess with the law in that he is knowledgeable about the law, composed, persistent, and is also not jaded or worn down by the legal system. I would recommend his defense to anyone I know.

This guy is brilliant and well respected

About Matthew

Learn Matthew’s areas of practice.

Practice areas

Criminal defense

50%

Criminal defense of all felonies, misdemeanors and summary offenses. DUI defense.
DUI and DWI

50%

LEHIGH VALLEY AND CARBON COUNTY CRIMINAL DEFENSE SUPER LAWYER

Matthew J. Rapa, Esquire is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Pennsylvania, as well as in Federal Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania. Matthew is a native of the Lehigh Valley and is a founding partner of Rapa Law Office, P.C. He attended East Stroudsburg University, where he graduated summa cum laude and was a captain of the East Stroudsburg University football team. Following college, Matthew continued his education at Widener University School of Law. While at Widener, Matthew participated in the Trial Advocacy Program and discovered his passion for criminal law. Before graduating, he volunteered for the Widener Law Clinic to assist indigent citizens and interned at the Monroe County Public Defender's Office.

Upon graduation, Matthew partnered with his brother at Rapa Law Office, P.C. and began dedicating himself to criminal defense. In addition to representing individuals privately in criminal cases, Matthew served as a part-time public defender in Carbon County for three years in order to assist indigent individuals while gaining invaluable experience in cases ranging from traffic offenses to homicide charges. Through his training and experience, Matthew has learned that no two cases are exactly alike and each case deserves an individualized strategy based on the facts of the case and each client's needs. With a keen attention to detail, and relentless work ethic, Matthew has achieved countless victories in the courtroom including numerous trial acquittals and complete dismissals based upon violations of clients' constitutional rights.

As a result of his accomplishments in the courtroom, Matthew has received various awards recognizing his skill as a criminal defense attorney. From 2013 through 2018, Matthew was named a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers Magazine. Only 2.5% of the attorneys in Pennsylvania are selected to Rising Stars. The American Society for Legal Advocates has also recognized Attorney Rapa as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Criminal Lawyers in Pennsylvania. In 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and most recently in 2023, Matthew has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the area of criminal defense by Super Lawyers Magazine.

Awards

Client's Choice

2023 2022 2021 + 3 ...

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Contact Matthew

Rapa Law Office, P.C.

(855) 519-5662 Office

609 Hamilton St.

Allentown, PA, 18235

rapalegal.com/

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Rapa Law Office, P.C.

(855) 519-5662 Office

141 S. 1st St

Lehighton, PA, 182352003

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Reviews

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4.9 / 5.0

74 customer reviews

1 Star

Client's Choice

Client's Choice is an Avvo award granted to attorneys with a significant number of client reviews over 4 stars in a given year.

Posted by anonymous | December 6, 2018

Exceptional Defense

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Posted by anonymous | September 20, 2023

This guy is brilliant and well respected

This guy literally kept me out of jail by convincing the cop to add a charge. Had me plead guilty to that charge and the cop dropped all 10 of the other charges I was looking at doing probably 18 months and maybe out in 12 to walking away with 12 months probation and 50 hours community service l. And it wasn't super expensive and he had to do 2 court dates. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.

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Posted by John | September 15, 2023

Professional Experienced Attorney With Heart

If you need an experienced, professional, attorney that knows his profession, and has a heart-look NO FURTHER. Matt Rapa, his brother and Staff are AWESOME!!!! It is NOT the first time I have used them. And would gladly use them again in the future.

Posted by anonymous | September 6, 2023

Carbon County DWI

Matt Rapa was very knowledgeable, professional and swift. I would highly recommend his expertise.

Posted by anonymous | August 31, 2023

Best lawyer ever

Matt was immediately available for me and my son. There were extreme charges against him and after 3 weeks I can happily say that all charges were withdrawn and we never went to court. Ended at prelim. Matt is an excellent lawyer and his calm demeanor was a plus and made everything easier. Can’t thank him enough.

Posted by James | July 12, 2023

Great, highly recommend!

Very knowledgeable and personable. Easy to work with and he basically ended up performing a miracle for me. I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. Thanks again.

Posted by anonymous | March 19, 2023

Outstanding

Excellent fight in the court room, listens and fully reviews the case at hand and takes precise and swift action! Had quite a few cases in my lifetime and always hired this lawyer because he knows how to get the job done each and every time.

Posted by Jeremy | March 3, 2023

Above and beyond

I want to thank Matthew Rapa for going above and beyond for literally rescuing me from absurd charges. The urgency to remedy the problem was just as important to him as it was to me. I've had to utilize attorney services before in my life, but I can say out of anyone I've ever dealt with before he is BY FAR the best in the business and he is a lawyer who definitely has the very best interests of his clients in mind. If you need an attorney who actually cares this is your guy. You WILL NOT BE disappointed.

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Posted by Jen | February 24, 2023

Excellent work

I’m so so happy I decided to chose Matt to handle my unexpected case. He did amazing! He handle it fast, and kept me informed with everything that was happening. He got to the point with everything and now my case is Taken care of because of him. I’m so satisfied with his work, he’s one of the best lawyers I’ve worked with.

Posted by Garrett | February 8, 2023

Great lawyer, very happy I hired him.

Mathew helped me through the whole process of my case for DUI. He was very respectful and attentive to me and gave me heads up on everything that came up in my case. I’m really happy I hired him, he got the job done and helped me win my case.

Posted by Rich | December 16, 2022

Excellent attorney

Knowledgeable and experienced. Very helpful and prepared in all phases of the case and trial. Hire with confidence.

Posted by Dale | December 12, 2022

DUI

Had a my second dui in 2 years Mr Rapa happy helped me beyond what I thought not only the dui dropped but the other charges as well. I was pulled over at a checkpoint and having my medical card I was tested at the station and failed on the officers terms.Mr.Rapa ultimately used what there taught in an argument of my innocence and his knowledge of the law to get the case dismissed.

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Posted by Scott | November 10, 2022

Best lawyer you can get

Matt Rapa is hands down the best attorney for dui or whatever case you need him for I was facing jail time and license loss for a year he got me into ARD program and I got 0 jail time would highly recommend him.

Posted by Ben Wood | October 15, 2022

Great Service

Want to thank Matthew Rapa he was awesome. His in person and office connections were great. I really would recommend his services for any one looking for good professional services and awesome attorneys representation he is the best.

Posted by Jonathan | September 19, 2022

Exceptional lawyer

Attorney Rapa is an exceptional lawyer and is worth every penny. I would advise anyone that has any legal issues to give his office a call and to listen and do anything he tells you to. I was looking at a couple of years in prison but thanks to Attorney Rapa I ended up with only 18 months of probation and I’m able to keep getting my life back on track thanks to him.

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Posted by Dickson LLC | July 28, 2022

A ticket of $4600

I was issued a ticket of $4600 for driver a non registered semi truck. I hired Matthew Rapa to represent me at the court and I paid nothing to the court. Rapa know what he's doing and he does it best when it comes to representing at the court room. I truly will recommend him to anyone with traffic and criminal cases.

Posted by Edward | July 14, 2022

Love this guy

He was a god sent ,a personal saint, best lawyer I've ever delt with would recommend to anyone in need

Posted by Mike | May 19, 2022

Highly Recommended

My son got himself in a little trouble in PA. We live out of state so we needed a defense attorney quick. Matthew Rapa was able to meet with us the same day I called. About a month later Mr. Rapa was able to get all charges dismissed. A short time later he had the entire incident expunged. Phew! What a relief. If somebody needs a defense attorney, I highly recommend you call Matthew Rapa.

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Posted by Scott | April 15, 2022

Satisfied and grateful

Matt did an incredible job on my case. He took time to carefully review my case.He was well prepared in court.Ultimately got my criminal charges dismissed.Id highly recommend him and thankful he was my attorney

Posted by anonymous | February 1, 2022

DUI

Matt helped me get my charges dropped. Matt also got me into the ARD program to get the DUI removed from my record. Matt showed great professionalism and handled the case very well. Without the help of Matthew Rapa I would of probably got all the chargers pending against me. Thank you again for your help.

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Cost

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

Partner
Rapa Law Office, P.C.
2008 - Present

Education

Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg PA
JD - Juris Doctor
2008

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
BS - Bachelor of Science
2005

Legal Cases

Commonwealth v. W.L.
Motion to Suppress 50 lbs of Marijuana granted. Commonwealth dismissed all charges.

Commonwealth v. E.M.
Not Guilty verdict

Commonwealth v. J.H.
Motion to Suppress granted. Commonwealth dismissed all charges.

View all legal cases

Associations

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Member
2015 - Present

Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Member
2013 - Present

Carbon County Intermediate Punishment Committe
Committee Member
2012 - Present

Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
2011 - Present

Lehigh County Bar Association
2010 - Present

Carbon County Bar Association
2008 - Present

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Languages Spoken

English

Honors and Awards

Super Lawyer
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
2022

Pennsylvania Super Lawyer
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
2021

Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
2020

Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
2019

Rising Star
Super Lawyers Magazine
2018

Rising Star
Super Lawyers Magazine
2017

Top 40 Criminal Defense Lawyer Under 40
American Society of Legal Advocates
2016

Rising Star
Super Lawyers Magazine
2016

Rising Star
Super Lawyers Magazine
2015

Rising Star
Super Lawyers Magazine
2014

Top 40 Under 40
National Trial Lawyers
2014

Rising Star
Super Lawyers Magazine
2013

Top 40 Under 40 Criminal Lawyers in PA
American Society of Legal Advocates
2013

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Speaking Engagements

Carbon County Bar Association Lunch and Learn
Criminal Defense Update
2014

Attorney endorsements

Received (8)

Given (10)

Endorse Matthew

Jeffrey Stanton

Criminal defense Attorney | May 04
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Matt and I were opposing counsel in several matters while I was an attorney for the State. Matt was always knowledgeable, results oriented and good for his word. I recommend him without reservation."

Syzane Arifaj

Criminal defense Attorney | Apr 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Rapa's advocacy skills and consummate professionalism are evident to all those in the courtroom. His excellent reputation for providing comprehensive and result-driven representation for his criminal defense clients is well-deserved. I would happily recommend him to a close friend or family member."

Michael Waddington

Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 13
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Matthew. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

Sean Farrelly

Criminal defense Attorney | May 14
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Rapa is an excellent criminal defense attorney. He has provided me with insightful and effective advice on many occasions. I highly recommend Mr. Rapa to anyone in need of legal services."

Prince Holloway

Criminal defense Attorney | Jan 29
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Matt Rapa is an excellent defense attorney that puts his clients first. He ethically and zealously represents his clients. I highly endorse Matt as a fine trial lawyer"

Brian Jordan

Unknown Attorney | Jun 30
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Matt is a perfectionist who will obsess over every detail in every one of his cases. He'll leave nothing to chance and makes sure that his clients are fully informed about all aspects of their situations. He's very sharp, very personable, and constantly working to improve for himself and for his practice. He's what you want when you need an attorney to represent you to the fullest."

Jason Rapa

Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 15
Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Leonid Mikityanskiy

DUI and DWI Attorney | May 06
Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I am a New York attorney, and Matt recently assisted me as a local counsel in Pennsylvania, in a case with high stakes for my client. I found Matt to be intelligent, composed, and very knowledgeable of the courtroom procedure. I would highly recommend Matt to anyone in need of a criminal or DUI/DWI defense attorney."

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Jeffrey Stanton

Personal injury

Syzane Arifaj

Criminal defense