Darren Drake

Darren Drake

also known as DARREN DRAKE LAW, PLLC

5.0
Rating: 9.8

Licensed for 16 years

DUI and DWI Lawyer at Murfreesboro, TN
Practice Areas: DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Drug Crime ... +2 more

138 S. Cannon Ave, Murfreesboro, TN

About Darren

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

DUI and DWI 30%

16 years

30%
Drug Crime 20%

16 years

20%
Violent Crime 15%

16 years

15%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 300-300 per hour

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Tennessee for 16 years

State: Tennessee

Acquired: 2010

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Office of Darren Drake

138 S. Cannon Ave, Murfreesboro, TN, 37129

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Darren Drake's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

198 Client Reviews

5 star (196) 4 star (2)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Michael | October 31, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Darren and crew are "Awesome People!", He/they will make you feel better and comfortable!

Darren is Awesome!!! And, "Thank You for your Service in the Navy!" "God Bless Our Veterans and Active Warrior's!" Darren was very knowledgeable, And gave me options on my case. Also, Thanks Kelly and the rest of Y'all!!! I'd give 10 Star's, If I could.

Posted by anonymous | February 18, 2024 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

If you need a positive, determined, compassionate and dynamic lawyer, Darren Drake is first-rate.

Darren Drake is the only person you need to go to if you have any issues arise that require a lawyer in his area of expertise. And I say that with confidence because I did a lot of research. I never had to seek out a lawyer in the past but recently I did and was lucky enough to reach out to Darren ...Drake's office. I met his assistant Kelly first and she was phenomenal!! And I was so glad to speak to her. She set up a time for me to come by and meet Darren Drake. Kelly is highly proficient and easy to talk to. She was a part of the whole process and treated me just like family. She is bright and kind and comforting and she responded so quickly during the process that it seemed like she was sometimes reading my mind. She was always a step ahead. Then I got to meet Mr. Drake! At the meeting, Mr. Drake introduced himself, asked how I was doing and made me feel very welcomed. He was relaxed and had a great manner and was immediately easy going. He started off the conversation with his comforting "Talk to me, I'm here." It was like a rainbow breaking through storm clouds. During my entire process, Mr. Drake was readily available, and demonstrated complete understanding of the situation I was experiencing. He made sure all my questions were answered and allayed any fears I had. He comes highly recommend from me. Darren Drake listens intently and takes you on the distressing journey all the way to the end. Darren Drake was very experienced and would be the number one choice due to his generous character and the way he handles himself and his practice. He was for me, and I would hire him again if ever needed and will eagerly recommend him to all! Thanks Darren Drake and the charming Kelly too.

Posted by Jonathan | January 3, 2024 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Darren Drake is all you need!

Darren and Kelly are the best of the best, and this is not an exaggeration! Traveling on a vacation and found myself in trouble with the law. I was sure that my life was ruined for good. First time being in any type of trouble, I had no clue what to do. Being from out of town did not help either. W...ent to google and searched for lawyers, had phone consultations with 2 lawyers as well as email communications with other lawyers in the area. I did not feel any better after the consultations with the other lawyers. They even somewhat made me feel worse about what had happened. Not saying that I wanted them to just say things to make me feel better, but there was just no compassion with them. Some how, some way, by God’s grace, I was doing research on my legal issue and Darren Drake’s name was in a random comment. There was only one comment, and it said “Darren Drake is all you need.” I then searched Darren and based on excellent reviews, I gave the office a call. I was greeted by Kelly, who I told about my situation. I talked to Kelly for a while, but it did not feel that long at all. Kelly was awesome! She was very compassionate, caring, understanding, informative, and helpful. She could tell that I was feeling down, and was so comforting. I got a great feeling just from speaking with Kelly, a feeling that she knew my character and really wanted to help me out. She told me that I would feel even better after speaking with Darren. I hired Darren that same day, not even getting to speak with him yet. My first consultation/meeting with Darren was not until a week or so later. Thoughts now ran thru my mind, did I hire the right lawyer? I didn’t even get to speak with him! It gets even better! Now comes my first meeting with Darren which is thru FaceTime since I live out of state. Darren hears all the details of my troubles, and assures me everything is going to be ok. It’s almost like he is a psychologist. He knew I was super stressed to the point that I could ruin my life if I kept being that way. He spoke to me like a good person, not the bad person that I kept telling myself that I was. He was very caring, compassionate, understanding, and had a plan. He calmed me down and said let him take care of the issue. We talked for a long time and I felt 100 times better after talking with him. It’s not like he dismissed what had happened, he just had a way of getting thru to me letting me know to live my life while he takes care of the issue. Hard to explain the feeling. Now to the case itself. Darren and Kelly work together so well. The duo is very organized. Kelly is on top of everything from the online portal, document uploads, answering text message questions super fast, scheduling, etc. She kept me up to date on everything! I also spoke to Darren when needed and he kept me up to date on what to expect, what to do, and kept me calm. In the courtroom, I could tell that Darren is a highly regarded lawyer. He is very professional, knowledgeable and also very personable. My case was dismissed and expunged. Although that was the end of my case, I did not want that to be the end of me knowing Darren. He is a great person that really wants to help people get thru their mistakes. I could go on and on and on about how great Darren is. If you ever find yourself in legal trouble, go directly to Darren Drake!! Darren Drake is all you need!!

Posted by Jade | September 21, 2023 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Review of darren drake

Darren Drake was absolutely hands down the best lawyer I have ever worked with and ever met. He is a genuine person who cares about people, with helping others get the best case scenario as his main end goal. He and his assistant Kelli were there from the very beginning every step of the way. They l...et me ask whatever questions I needed and wanted and explained everything that was going to happen in detail. He got my punishment reduced and helped secure my future going forward. He and his assistant both were available at all times during the day and checked in on me occasionally. They made sure I had everything turned in on time when I needed it and made sure I knew what I needed to do when I had absolutely no clue what that was. The told me everything was going to be okay when I was worried and assured me it was all going to workout when I was at my lowest and thought my life was over. He got me best case scenario in the end and I could never thank him enough. These people definitely got your back and will just like he and kelli had mine.

Posted by Christopher | February 15, 2023 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

If I would ever require future legal representation in the future, I would absolutely hire Darren Drake again.

I hired Darren Drake based on Google/Avvo reviews, and I can personally attest that he serves his clients with professionalism and skill. Throughout the entire process, Mr. Drake was readily available, and he demonstrated complete understanding of the situation I was facing. Going into it, I prob...ably had an unreasonable number of questions, but he was patient with me and took the time to thoroughly answer my questions. I learned that hiring an attorney isn't much different than hiring a doctor - you can google random things and have WebMD tell you have cyanide poisoning. Or... you can talk to a doctor and find out you actually have acid reflux. Hiring an attorney is a remarkably similar affair; they see thousands of cases like yours and they'll have the expertise to provide a personal solution for your situation. Mr. Drake delivered that personal solution for my situation. He truly gave me outstanding legal representation and I'm extremely thankful for his expertise and service. If I would ever require future legal representation in the future, I would absolutely hire Darren Drake again.

See All Client Reviews

Darren Drake's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Darren
James Marlon Judkins headshot
James Judkins

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darren is an energetic and passionate attorney. He understands the changes in caselaw and is a prepared and aggressive advocate. I highly recommend him."

David Glenn Ridings headshot
David Ridings

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I practice criminal defense law in Nashville (almost exclusively). But when i get calls from Murfreesboro, and am asked for a referral in Rutherford County... without hesitation I refer them to Darren Drake. Without a doubt the strongest Criminal defense attorney in that county. Darren and his team actually "care" about their clients. And they are absolutely studied up when the get to court. And when i hear back from clients I have referred to him... it's always "Thank you so much for referring me to Darren Drake". I call Darren often when i have a question about a particular legal issue. He is my "go to" on criminal defense questions... and he should be yours as well. Listen.... no joke... If I were sitting in a jail cell in Rutherford county I would sure breath a sigh of relief to see this guy walk in my cell."

Jonathan William Turner headshot
Jonathan Turner

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 31

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Darren is a great attorney who has the rare combination of the will to fight for his clients and the legal skills to do it."

James Patrik Barger headshot
James Barger

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Darren is a great attorney and I have worked with him on family law matters and he is also very knowledgeable in criminal law, easy to talk with, and a great asset to our legal community."

Amanda J Gentry headshot
Amanda Gentry

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 31

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darren is one of the smartest attorney's around. Fighting a DUI or a Drug DUI? He is a zealous defender with a great reputation in the courthouse and around the community. He's experienced, passionate, articulate, and most important, successful. He studies often and is up to date on the most important laws and cases affecting your particular case. Five stars."

Ryan C. Davis headshot
Ryan Davis

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darren has a tremendous amount of experience as a criminal defense lawyer, and is a mentor to other lawyers in his field. I highly recommend him."

Kris Matthew Oliver headshot
Kris Oliver

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darren is a great attorney and very knowledgeable of the law."

Raymond Wilford Fraley III headshot
Raymond Fraley

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darren is a tremendously experienced, extremely effective, and highly respected criminal defense attorney of the highest order. Feared by prosecutors, he is a charismatic and eloquent trial lawyer - with exceptional skill and knowledge."

Jordan Blake Laxton headshot
Jordan Laxton

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darren Drake is one of the most intelligent lawyers in Rutherford County. Darren's knowledge of the law, his attention to detail, and devotion to his clients are just a few of the characteristics that make Darren such an exceptional lawyer. I am happy to endorse Darren Drake."

Douglas David Aaron headshot
Douglas Aaron

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer without hesitation. I have seen Darren over the last few years and appreciate the zeal with which he represents his clients. He is not content on just getting by on the same knowledge everyone else has--he seeks the newest and best information to help his clients. I am very impressed with this young lawyer."

Jacob D. Flatt headshot
Jacob Flatt

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

George F. Lannom headshot
George Lannom

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Darrin is sincere about helping his clients. He goes to great lengths to make sure his clients have the best representation possible. Serious, professional and dedicated."

Jared Michael Streich headshot
Jared Streich

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. He is top-notch and well-respected in the legal community."

Socrates de La Cruz headshot
Socrates de La Cruz

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. A great advocate and fights for his clients in court."

Jill L Rogers headshot
Jill Rogers

Unknown lawyer | Mar 27

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer and the remarkable work that gets done for clients."

Evelyn Susan Ginossi headshot
Evelyn Ginossi

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Judd S Nemiro headshot
Judd Nemiro

Unknown lawyer | Mar 17

Relationship: Other

"Top-notch attorney. I endorse this lawyer."

David Ryan Grimmett headshot
David Grimmett

Child custody lawyer | Feb 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I met Mr. Drake at a conference I was teaching for the state courts. Since that time, I have spoken with Mr. Drake numerous times about case theory and approaches to defending parents in child abuse cases. I consider Mr. Drake a highly effective attorney who will protect his clients, and solve their problems rather than causing more."

Jimmy Leo Richardson III headshot
Jimmy Richardson

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I am truly humbled to work in the same jurisdiction as Mr. Drake. He is a force in the court room and always fights passionately for the causes he takes on in the legal community. He has been a candid and invaluable source of wisdom and experience. I recommend and endorse him with the highest regard."

Robert Lawrence Cohen headshot
Robert Cohen

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jan 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. He knows his stuff."

View All Endorsements
Daniel J. Ross headshot
Daniel Ross

Criminal defense lawyer

Hunter Fowler headshot
Hunter Fowler

Criminal defense lawyer

James Marlon Judkins headshot
James Judkins

Unknown lawyer

Barbara Marie Penland-LaFevers headshot
Barbara Penland-LaFevers

Criminal defense lawyer

David Glenn Ridings headshot
David Ridings

Criminal defense lawyer

Allen D. Hale headshot
Allen Hale

Criminal defense lawyer

Thomas Anthony Maynard headshot
Thomas Maynard

Criminal defense lawyer

Jonathan William Turner headshot
Jonathan Turner

Criminal defense lawyer

James Patrik Barger headshot
James Barger

Family lawyer

Ryan C. Davis headshot
Ryan Davis

Criminal defense lawyer

Amanda J Gentry headshot
Amanda Gentry

Criminal defense lawyer

Kris Matthew Oliver headshot
Kris Oliver

Criminal defense lawyer

Douglas David Aaron headshot
Douglas Aaron

Criminal defense lawyer

Jordan Blake Laxton headshot
Jordan Laxton

Criminal defense lawyer

Jacob D. Flatt headshot
Jacob Flatt

Criminal defense lawyer

William Andrew Dement headshot
William Dement

Criminal defense lawyer

Jefferson Cole Dowsley Jr. headshot
Jefferson Dowsley

Employment and labor lawyer

Ronald Aubrey Wilson headshot
Ronald Wilson

Juvenile law lawyer

Jared Michael Streich headshot
Jared Streich

Criminal defense lawyer

Leonard I Frieling headshot
Leonard Frieling

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.8 (Superb)

Honors

2025

Murfreesboro Best of 2025 - Criminal Defense, Business Rate

2016

Top 40 Lawyers Under 40, American Society of Legal Advocates

2016

Clients Choice Award - Criminal Defense, Avvo

2016

Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers

2015

Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers

2015

Clients Choice Award - Criminal Defense, Avvo

2015

Premier Attorney, American Academy of Trial Attorneys

2015

Top 10 Attorney Award, National Academy Of Personal Injury Attorneys

2014

Clients Choice Award - Criminal Defense, Avvo

2014

Top 10 Attorney Award, National Academy Of Personal Injury Attorneys

2013

Clients Choice Award - Criminal Defense, Avvo

2009

Deans List, Southern Illinois University School of Law

Work Experience

2020 - Present

Attorney, Darren Drake Law, PLLC

2011 - 2020

Trial Attorney, Drake Drake & Frost - An Association of Attorneys

2010 - 2011

Trial Attorney, Law Office Of Darren Drake

2009 - 2010

Vice President of Graduate and Professional Student Government, Southern Illinois University Graduate School

2009 - 2009

Certified Law Clerk, Ventura County District Attorney's Office

2008 - 2009

Legal Assistant, Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic

1996 - 2002

Electronics Technician, United States Navy

Associations

2016 - Present

American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys

Member

2016 - Present

Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

2015 - Present

National Trial Lawyers Association

Member

2015 - Present

American Academy of Trial Lawyers

Member

2013 - Present

Murfreesboro Downtown Barristers Lions Club

Attorney Member

2011 - Present

Rutherford Cannon County Bar Association

Attorney Member

2011 - Present

United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

Licensed

2007 - Present

Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International

Attorney Member

Sample of Legal Cases

M2013-01141-COA-R3-CV DIRECTOR, TVHS, MURFREESBORO CAMPUS VS. LAWRENCE HARTMAN

Client released from involuntary confinement by the Court of Appeals.

Jxxxx v. Lxxxxx

$109,000 settlement. No appeal.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2020

Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (T.A.C.D.L.) Trial College

Certificate of Completion

2015

Getting Evidence Before the Trial Court

Certificate of Attendance

2014

Trial Skills

Certificate of Attendance

2014

Drug Interdiction Methodologies

Certificate of Attendance

2014

Conflicts in Domestic Cases

Certificate of Attendance

2013

Nuts and Bolts of a Divorce Trial

Certificate of Attendance

2013

Child Welfare

Certificate of Attendance

2013

Powers of Attorney/Advanced Directives

Certificate of Attendance

2012

Criminal Procedure and Practice

Certificate of Attendance

2012

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Certificate of Attendance

2011

Advanced-Cross Examination Techniques

Certificate of Attendance

2010

Southern Illinois University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2005

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2018

Rutherford County Bar Association - C.L.E.

Bail in Tennessee

2017

Rutherford County Bar C.L.E.

Understanding Character Evidence

2015

Mid-Tennessee Legal Professionals C.L.E.

Tennessee Rules of Evidence - Objections

2012

Mid-Tennessee Legal Professionals C.L.E.

Tennessee's New Expungement Law

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
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Avvo Rating Levels
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