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James Lawrence Yeargan Jr.
About James
Biography
James Yeargan is one of the most respected and sought after DUI attorneys in the state. His successful defense record and unprecedented devotion to his clients has earned him this honor. Mr. Yeargan’s reputation as a tenacious DUI practitioner coupled with his remarkable trial strategy and indomitable presence in the courtroom have earned him the moniker “DUI Jim” throughout the Atlanta community, and Georgia at large. Whether he is defending a client in the farmlands of South Georgia, or defending the wrongfully accused in the foothills of the Appalachians DUI Jim is always there for his clients. “I go wherever my clients need me,” says Jim. “No case is too big, and no case is too small. When you’re in trouble, and you need me; I’m there.” It’s this dedication to his clients that makes Mr. Yeargan’s DUI practice so unique and sought after. You won’t find another attorney this dedicated to their clients.
After completing his undergraduate education at Emory University, and legal education at Mercer University, Mr. Yeargan spent the next 3 years as a DUI and drug prosecutor in the City of Atlanta. After excelling in the courtroom, Jim began his own training at the Georgia Police Academy. There he received certifications in Field Sobriety Testing, Intoxilyzer 5000 operations, Laser and Radar Operator’s Training, and various DUI and Drug Courses.
After completing this training, Jim received his highest honor; Jim was asked to become an instructor at the Georgia Police Academy. “I was beside myself when I got the news, remarks Jim. Even though he is now a DUI defense attorney, Jim still instructs at the Police Academy in the areas of DUI Law and Courtroom Case Preparation and Presentation.
If you’re faced with a DUI, drug, or other traffic charge it’s very important that you hire a lawyer. While you can hire any attorney wouldn’t you rather hire one who knows both sides of prosecution and defense? Wouldn’t you rather hire an attorney who not only knows the cops, but has also trained them? Wouldn’t you rather hire an attorney who has spent all night on the road working with the officers in your case? Wouldn’t you rather hire an attorney who has worked with and trained the prosecutor in your case? If you do, then call James “DUI Jim” Yeargan.
- Former DUI Prosecutor
- Assigned to Atlanta’s DUI Prosecutorial Task Force
- Atlanta DUI Task Force
- Georgia State Patrol Task Force
- Police Academy DUI Instructor
- DUI Prosecutor Instructor
- Atlanta DUI Advisory Task Force Committee Chairmain
- Certified NHTSA Field Sobriety Testing
- Certified NHTSA Field Sobriety Testing Instructor
- Certified Intoxilyzer 5000 Operator
- Certified DUI and Drugs
- Certified DUI Detection
- Laser Operator
- Radar Operator
- NHTSA Drug Recognition Expert Pre-Course
- NHTSA Drug Recognition Expert Course
- Graduate, National College for DUI Defense Harvard University
- Jurisprudential Member, American Academy of Forensic Scientists (AAFS)
- Provisional Member, International Association for Chemical Testing
- Member, National College for DUI Defense
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, American Trial Lawyer’s Association
- Member, Atlanta Bar Association
- Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
- Member, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
- Member, Gate City Bar Association
Practice Areas
3
Practice Areas
DUI and DWI
90%
23 years | 1,000 cases
Criminal Defense
5%
23 years | 1,000 cases
Speeding and Traffic Ticket
5%
23 years | 1,000 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
Retainer
Always
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in New York for 1 year
State: New York
Acquired: 2024
No misconduct found
Licensed in Georgia for 22 years
State: Georgia
Acquired: 2003
No misconduct found
Location
Yeargan & Kert, LLC
3715 Northside Parkway, Building 100 Suite 500, Atlanta, GA, 30327
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James Lawrence Yeargan Jr.'s Reviews
Avvo Review Score
62 Client Reviews
Filter Avvo Reviews (62)
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Practice Areas
What Clients Mention
Case Results (45)
Advocacy (23)
Recommendation (23)
Practice Area Knowledge (19)
Professionalism (18)
Communication Style (9)
Responsiveness (9)
Trustworthiness (8)
Character & Conduct (7)
General Knowledge (7)
Cost of Services (5)
Compassion (3)
Staff & Support (3)
Punctuality (2)
Free Consultations (1)
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews | Punctuality
Posted by Sheldon | July 06, 2017 | DUI & DWI
Not sure why im not getting same effort from Jim
Reading these reviews, I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone. I am a young African-American IT-Professional holding multiple secret clearances over the past 10 years for various work. With a completely clean record I hit a very unfortunate time period around late 2009 / early 2010 where ...
James Yeargan
Replied last July 06, 2017In your review you state you blew a .095 on the breath machine. Before you ever spoke to us, or retained us, you decided, after speaking to your "friends", that you were going to go to the Municipal Court of Atlanta, and bind this case over to The State Court of Fulton County. You did this entirely on your own based on your friends' advice. I told you that you should not have done this because Atlanta will reduce DUI cases with a breath test below .10. The State Court of Fulton County does not reduce cases. All of the prosecutors in Fulton County have been threatened with their jobs if they reduce a DUI charge to a lesser offense. I told you it would take about 2 years for the case to come up in Fulton County (that is their average wait time due to back log). I told you when the case comes up we would see what we could do in that court since you just ruined your chances for a reduced charge in the Municipal Court of Atlanta. I further informed you that you had burned your best chance at a reduction in this case by sending the case to Fulton, that whoever told you to do that was terribly wrong, you shouldn't have acted on your own without a lawyer, and there is no way to return the case to the court in Atlanta after it had been sent to Fulton County. I never told you to, "lie down and take it" and that I didn't do anything for you on the first case except tell you to plea guilty. I tracked this case for 2 years, and when it came up in Fulton County I went to all the court appearances for you so you didn’t have to miss work. All motions, and other paperwork were filed. I saw issues in your case, and I told you I was going to have a motions hearing to try to get the case dismissed. You complained that you were in Boston, and would have to miss work to come back to Atlanta for court. I arranged a waiver of your presence, sent it to you, you signed it, I gave it to the judge, you were excused from the hearing, and you did not have to miss work. I have a copy of the waiver if you need it. We had a full evidentiary hearing where testimony was given, and arguments presented. After the hearing, the judge issued a ruling denying our motions. I have a copy of the motion if you need it. I then told you we would push the case to trial, and if the arresting officer didn't show up the judge would probably dismiss the case. I also said if the officer did show up it would be in our best interest to plea guilty instead of going to trial with a .095 breath test (over the legal limit in Georgia). I told you I would take the case to trial if you liked, but we would not likely win. You emailed me saying you liked this plan, and if the officer showed up you would "lie down and take it." After this, I received an email from you asking if we could use "high profile connections" to make this case "disappear." I told you I would not employ any illegal, or questionable, tactics on your behalf to make the case "disappear." I have your emails if you’d like to see them. On the trial date the officer showed up, and we plead guilty. All of the work I did for you on this case is on the court's website, and I can provide the documentation if needed. Nothing more could have been done to fight this case. Again, if you had not taken it upon yourself to move the case out of the court in Atlanta the outcome would have most likely been different. For some reason, you like going to go court unrepresented, and making bigger problems for yourself. On your second case, you never retained us. Also, you failed to go to court 3 times and has bench warrants issued for your arrest. You contacted me Friday evening to let me know you had a jury trial scheduled for Monday morning. You did contact me on Facebook because I'm not in the office on the weekends. You went to court for your court date on the second case in February 23, 2012. You waited 21 months until October 2013 to let me know you had a trial Monday morning.
Posted by Jane Nguyen | November 04, 2012 | DUI & DWI
He's absolutely the best!!!
I met Jim through recommendations from multiple friends and always recommend him to others. While in the process you don't realize the difference between DUI lawyers, thinking that they all do the same thing for you anyway. BUT, AFTER, you will see the difference with Jim. While going through all the...
James Lawrence Yeargan Jr.'s Lawyer Endorsements
"Attorney Jim Yeargan is the most skilled criminal defense attorney in Atlanta. His skill and dedication are unmatched. Jim genuinely cares about his clients and explores every possible avenue to ensure that his clients get the best possible outcome for their case. I highly recommend hiring Jim Yeargan for your criminal defense needs! He is a great person and a great attorney!"
"As a prosecutor, I would always see Jim in court. He was always prepared and getting great results for his clients. Jim has built a well deserved reputation as a great defense attorney, and has experience in many courts across Georgia. I endorse Jim Yeargan!"
"If you need to win your DWI or Criminal Charge you need Attorney James Yeargan, Jr. He is simply a Superb Lawyer. I endorse him 100%"
"Jim is an experienced, highly respected attorney who always represents his clients with the utmost of skill,knowledge and understanding.i can readily endorse him without hesitation or reservation."
"I endorse this lawyer. James is a truly competent attorney who is highly dedicated to his craft. He obtains excellent results for his clients. He has a high degree of skill in trial and always puts the clients best interest at the center of any matter he is associated with."
"I endorse this lawyer. James is well known in the legal community as an effective advocate for his clients."
"I endorse this lawyer. An extremely talented and well respected attorney in the legal community."
"I not only endorse this lawyer. I give this lawyer 5 stars!"
"Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I am very familiar with Mr. Yeargan via our professional affiliations, including avvo.com,, and I his advice is is always exceptionally thorough and competent. He takes the time to provide solid feedback. I recommend him as he always demonstrates his dedication to ensure that his advice is well grounded in the law."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Mr. Yeargan is a talented attorney. By his answers to questions on this site, I can tell he is a strong, knowledgable advocate for his clients. I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. A highly skilled and respected lawyer in the legal community."
"I strongly endorse Jim He works hard and is ethical. He is an exceptional attorney and works tirelessly for his clients clients."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. One of the guys other DUI attorneys will call with DUI questions. Great guy and very knowledgable."
"I strongly endorse Jim. He is flat out hard working, brilliant and ethical. He is an exceptional attorney and will work tirelessly to get his clients a good result."
"Lawyers who serve the avvo community as much as Mr. Yeargan are few and far between. It takes passion, concern and dedication to devote so much time. You have my endorsement and kudos."
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Experience
Honors
2016
Super Lawyer 2016, Super Lawyer
2015
Premier DUI Attorney, American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys
2015
10 Best Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys
2015
Super Lawyer 2015, Super Lawyers
2014
Top 40 Under 40 In Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers
2014
AV Rated Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell
2014
Harvard Law Summer Session, National College for DUI Defense
2014
Top 100 DUI Lawyers in Georgia, The National Advocacy for DUI Defense
2014
Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers
2013
Super Lawyer 2014, Super Lawyers
2012
Super Lawyer 2013, Super Lawyers
2012
Harvard Law Summer Session, National College for DUI Defense
N/A
Drugs That Impair Driving, NHTSA
N/A
LIDAR/Laser Speed Detection, Fulton County Police Academy
N/A
Radar Speed Detection, Fulton County Police Academy
N/A
Field Sobriety Testing Certified, NHTSA
N/A
Field Sobriety Testing Instructor, NHTSA
N/A
DRE Course, NHTSA
N/A
DRE Pre-School, NHTSA
N/A
Intoxilyzer 5000 Operator Certified, State of Georgia
Work Experience
2007 - Present
Attorney, Yeargan & Yarbrough, LLC
2005 - 2006
Assistant Solicitor/Prosecutor, Municipal Court of Atlanta
2004 - 2005
Assistant Solicitor/Prosecutor, City Court of Atlanta
Associations
2011 - Present
DUI Advisory Task Force, Municipal Court of AtlantaCommittee Chair
2011 - Present
National College for DUI DefenseMember
2010 - Present
Atlanta Lawyer's ClubMember
2008 - Present
Atlanta Council of Young LawyersExecutive Board Member
2008 - Present
Cobb County Bar AssociationMember
2007 - Present
Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
2007 - Present
Atlanta Bar AssociationMember
2007 - Present
American Academy of Forensic SciencesJurisprudential Member
2006 - Present
United States Supreme CourtMember
2006 - Present
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitMember
2003 - Present
Supreme Court of GeorgiaMember
2003 - Present
Georgia Court of AppealsMember
Sample of Legal Cases
State v. C.M.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. N.G.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. J.W.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. D.T.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. A.T.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. J.S.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. J.S.
Not Guilty After Trial. No Jail Time.
State v. J.S.
Not Guilty After Trial
State v. C.S.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. J.S.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. S.P.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. C.B.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. C.M.
Case Dismissed.
State v. R.H.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. S.H.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. C.H.
Not Guilty After Trial On All Charges Except Accident.
State v. S.G.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. M.G.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. S.E.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. J.D.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. J.C.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
State v. C.B.
DUI and All Charges Dismissed
Education
2003
Mercer University-W. George L.S.
JD - Juris Doctor
2000
Emory University
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2015
The Buckhead Club
How To Handle the Emergency Phone Call When Your Client Is Arrested for DUI
2007
Atlanta Council of Younger Lawyers
Handling DUI Cases
2006
DUI Evidence and Courtroom Presentation
DUI Evidence and Courtroom Presentation
2005
DUI Evidence and Courtroom Presentation
DUI Evidence and Courtroom Presentation
Publications
2015
Attorney at Law Magazine
Next Generation Issue
2015
Attorney At Law Magazine
Stopping the License Suspension for Drivers Under the Age of 21
2015
Attorney at Law Magazine
Attorneys of Influence
2015
Attorney at Law Magazine
How To Handle the Emergency Phone Call When Your Client Is Arrested for DUI
2013
Super Lawyers
Rising Stars 2013
2013
Attorney at Law Magazine
Trial Lawyer of the Month
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
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