Kim Thomas Stephens

PRO

Kim Thomas Stephens

also known as Kim T. Stephens

4.9
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 32 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Athens, GA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Personal Injury

1143 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA

Free Consultation

About Kim

Biography

Professional Advice. Powerful Defense.

Professional Advice. Powerful and Aggressive Defense.

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 70%

70%
DUI and DWI 25%

25%
Personal Injury 5%

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Contingency

33%-40%


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Awards

Client's Choice
Client's Choice
2019 2018 2017
...
+ 3
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

Licenses

Licensed in Georgia for 32 years

State: Georgia

Acquired: 1993

Active Member in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

Kim T. Stephens

1143 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA, 30606

athens-lawfirm.com/

Online Presence

Other places you can find Kim online.

Kim Thomas Stephens's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

60 Client Reviews

Showing 6 - 10 of 15 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by anonymous | February 21, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Education

Best Attorney for Student Cases at UGA

I talked to a lot of attorneys when my college aged child was expelled for academic dishonesty and the appeal deadline was only days away. Kim Stephens was the only attorney willing to help. With his knowledge and experience, he was able to get the expulsion turned to suspension and my child was rea...dmitted to UGA and will now be able to accomplish educational and career goals. Without him, that would not have happened. Thank you Mr. Stephens.

Posted by Tom | August 01, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

A great lawyer and a better human being!

I hired Mr. Stephens to defend my daughter on a very serious felony charge. He not only persuaded the DA to reduce the charges to a misdemeanor, but got her quickly released. He also persuaded the judge to override last minute objections from the plaintiff. He was responsive to us throughout the proc...ess. He is a great choice if you want an excellent attorney and a better person.

Posted by anonymous | July 22, 2016 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

DUI and speeding charge

I got stopped for speeding and DUI in Baldwin, Ga. I live in Athens and Kim Stephens was able to go all the way to baldwin, Ga to help me on my court case. He was able to reduce my speeding ticket so that I wouldn't have any points on my license. He was also able to take my dui charge down to city or...dinance (which will not even be on my criminal record). I only had to pay the finest for the speeding and city ordinance, 20 hours of dui school, and 40 hours of community service. However the judge took the community service away also so all I had was dui school! He is great with dui cases he has helped other people I know with takin away the dui charge! So if you ever get a dui he'll be great to help you!

Posted by anonymous | May 10, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Excellent Attorney

Mr. Stephens was very productive and proactive in dealing with my case. I was charged with a MIP and disorderly conduct. He quickly and efficiently provided me with options moving forward and was there to answer all of my questions. His help was crucial and his expertise second to none.

Posted by Deanne | April 12, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Great attorney! If you need an attorney, this is who you need.

When my 16- year-old son was arrested for smoking marijuana last fall, I was sick with worry. I had no idea what to expect from the juvenile system or the court system in general. Kim was awesome! First, he didn’t make me feel like my son was some terrible kid; rather just a regular kid who made a po...or choice. I really appreciated that. He spent the time to talk to me about what we could expect, which greatly helped relieve my fears. When we went to court, I was blown away by Kim's charisma and efficiency. He filed a motion which resulted in an informal probationary period for my son, without adjudication. To me, this was a win-win. My son was given the opportunity to see the significance of his actions without the ramifications of a conviction. I am so thankful that Kim was in my son's corner that day! If you find yourself in need of an attorney, I would highly recommend Kim Stephens.

See All Client Reviews

Kim Thomas Stephens's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Kim
Matthew William Clarke headshot
Matthew Clarke

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I highly recommend Kim Stephens. As an attorney in Atlanta, I sometimes have clients and their friends and family who find themselves in a difficult circumstance in Athens. I regularly recommend that they reach out to Kim for his expertise, experience and practical approach. I cannot recommend Kim highly enough! Matt Clarke"

Morris Hugh Wiltshire Jr. headshot
Morris Wiltshire

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Kim Stephens is an outstanding trial lawyer. Kim is smart, tough and personable. He has the skills and experience in high profile cases to effectively represent people in real trouble. Kim has a special ability to connect with jurors in a way they can appreciate. He knows what it takes to build a compelling case and is excellent at spotting weakness in the government's arguments. All of these talents benefit his clients. Last but not least, Kim Stephens is a Georgia football legend and is well known by everyone in North Georgia."

Kevin Edward Epps headshot
Kevin Epps

Litigation lawyer | Sep 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Kim for many years and I endorse him in the area of litigation without any reservations. Having the unique prospective of working with Kim on cases and opposing him on others, I can say that anyone who is thinking of hiring Kim to represent them will be well represented."

Michael Stuart Brown headshot
Michael Brown

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Mr. Stephens for over 30 years. There is no other person I would have represent me if I needed help."

William Doyle Healan III headshot
William Healan

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Kim is one of the Athens lawyers that knows everyone there is to know. He is a great trial lawyer that will fight in court. He has had several high profile cases in which his clients have been acquitted. If you hire him, you will be in good hands."

Page Anthony Pate headshot
Page Pate

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 17

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have known Kim for many years. He is an outstanding lawyer. I have worked with him on several cases and have always been very impressed with his legal knowledge, hard work, and compassion for his clients. But Kim's best quality is his judgement. He knows what to do to and when to do it. Whether it's a negotiated settlement or a trial, Kim gets results in cases that other lawyers only wish for. I have referred many clients to Kim over the years and they have all been very impressed with his work and pleased with the outcome. Hire Kim and you will not be disappointed."

View All Endorsements
Morris Hugh Wiltshire Jr. headshot
Morris Wiltshire

Criminal defense lawyer

William Doyle Healan III headshot
William Healan

Unknown lawyer

Page Anthony Pate headshot
Page Pate

Criminal defense lawyer

Shannon Cahill Coffey headshot
Shannon Coffey

Adoption lawyer

Michael Stuart Brown headshot
Michael Brown

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2024

AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2024

Top 100 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers

2016

Nationally Ranked Top 10 Award, National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys

2014

Best Attorney - Athens Readers' Choice Award, Athens Banner Herald/Online Athens

2013

Best Attorney - Athens Readers' Choice Award, Athens Banner Herald/Online Athens

1987

Permanent Team Captain - Football, UGA

1987

Post Graduate Scholarship, NCAA

1987

Academic All American, GTE

1987

All American - Football, Football News

1987

All Conference - Football, Southeastern Confernce

1987

Jenkins Award - Offensive MVP, UGA

1987

Sphinx Honor Society, University of Georgia

N/A

Academic All SEC, Southeastern Conference

N/A

Hugh Hendrix Award, University of Georgia

N/A

Master 4-H Club Member, Georgia 4-H

Work Experience

1998 - Present

Attorney, Stephens & Brown, LLC

1997 - 1997

Specially Appointed Attorney General, Attorney General's Office

1993 - 1998

Attorney, Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, PC

Associations

2015 - Present

National Trial Lawyers Association

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

1998 - Present

Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

1993 - Present

Western Circuit Bar Association

Member

1993 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

1996 - 1998

State Bar of Georgia, Young Lawyers Division

Director

1993 - 1998

Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

State v. C.M.

Case resolved via a "global settlement" through negotiations in a manner that kept client out of prison and without a felony conviction on his record.

State v. L.L.

Case dismissed.

State v. P.M.

Case resolved via negotiated plea to misdemeanor charge allowing client to avoid going to jail or have a felony conviction on his record. No fine or community service.

State v. K.D.

After extensive negotiations, State agreed to drop all felony and misdemeanor charges and allow client to plead "no contest" to minor traffic offenses.

State v. L.H.

Extensive and thorough negotiations resulted in resolution of the case in a manner that allowed our client to avoid having a felony conviction on her record and avoid prison.

See More Legal Cases

Education

1993

Georgia State University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1992

University of Georgia, Athens

M.Ed.

1987

University of Georgia, Athens

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

1997

Caribbean Seminar

High Profile Cases

Publications

N/A

USA Today State v. Williams

N/A

N/A

ESPN.com State v. Bolden

N/A

Athens Banner Herald/Onlineathens.com Mock Trial Team Wins Championship

N/A

N/A

CBS College Sports/cstv.com State v. Humphrey

N/A

Athens Banner Herald/onlineathens.com State v. McCrary

N/A

Athens Banner Herald/onlineathens.com State v. Veal

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution