Lance Lawrence Kennedy

Former Federal Prosecutor. Former Texas Prosecutor. U.S. Army Judge Advocate. Founding Attorney.

If you are facing criminal charges in Texas, you are in the fight of your life. The government has investigators, police officers, prosecutors, experts, and money. You did not ask for this fight. But it is here. And you need a lawyer who knows how the other side thinks.

I am Lance Kennedy. I am the Founding Attorney of Lance Kennedy Law. Before I defended people accused of crimes, I prosecuted them. I served as an Assistant United States Attorney, a Texas state prosecutor, and a U.S. Army Judge Advocate. I have seen criminal cases on the federal, state, and military sides. I know how the government builds cases. I know how police gather evidence. I know where prosecutors apply pressure. And I know where their cases can break.

I have tried 7 federal jury trials and more than 50 Texas trials. I am admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. My team has handled nearly 1,000 combined jury trials.

I founded Lance Kennedy Law to give clients serious criminal defense from lawyers who understand how the government works. Every client is assigned a dedicated senior trial attorney. Cases are not passed down to junior lawyers. Attorneys focus on the counties and courts where they regularly practice, so clients are represented by lawyers who know the local judges, prosecutors, court staff, and courtroom tendencies that shape real outcomes.

Our defense team includes former prosecutors, Board-certified criminal law attorneys, investigators, and former law enforcement professionals. Attorney caseloads are kept below recognized workload limits so each client receives direct attention, preparation, and communication.

Lance Kennedy Law has earned a 5.0 average Google rating, an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, more than 300 five-star reviews, and a 99% client satisfaction rate. In 2026, more than 50% of the firm's resolved cases have resulted in dismissals.

That matters because criminal defense is not just about credentials. It is about whether the lawyer has the experience, preparation, judgment, and structure to protect you when the government is trying to take your freedom, your record, your career, your reputation, and your future.

What Is At Stake

A criminal charge can cost you your freedom. It can cost you your job. It can damage your family, your reputation, your license, your immigration status, your security clearance, and your future. You should not face that alone. You should not face it with a lawyer who has never tried a serious case. You should not face it with a firm that treats your case like a file number. You deserve a defense built from day one. That is what we do.

How We Work Your Case

Every case we take goes through three steps:

1. We listen.  We learn what happened, what the government is claiming, what you are worried about, and what outcome matters most to you. 
2. We investigate. We review the State's evidence the way a prosecutor would. We look for illegal searches, weak witnesses, bad assumptions, missing evidence, unreliable science, overcharged allegations, and facts the government ignored. When needed, we send investigators into the field and bring in experts.
3. We fight.  We push back at every stage. We prepare every case as if it may go to trial. That is how we create leverage. That is how we get dismissals, reductions, and better outcomes before a jury is ever seated.

Results in High-Stakes Cases

1. All charges dropped (State v. Mann). Our client was charged with organized crime, drug possession, and burglary of a habitation. He was facing 25 years to life in prison. Our investigators proved he was innocent. The State dropped every charge.
2. First-degree felony reduced to a misdemeanor (State v. Trejo). Our client faced an aggravated assault charge carrying up to 99 years or life in prison. Our team developed evidence that changed the case. The charge was reduced to a Class A misdemeanor.
3. Case dismissed after body-camera footage came in (State v. Zanders). The State claimed our client pointed a gun at police. We obtained the body-camera footage. It told a different story. The case was dismissed.

Why Clients Hire Lance Kennedy

Most criminal-defense lawyers have only worked one side of the courtroom. I have worked both. I built cases for the federal government. I tried cases for the State of Texas. I handled military justice matters in the Army. That experience gives me a practical advantage: I do not have to guess how prosecutors think. I have been in their chair.

I am also a seventh-generation Texan, the son of a pastor, and a father of four. I know what it means when a client says, "This case could ruin my life." Criminal defense is not abstract. It is personal. It is about protecting people when the government has turned its power against them.

Lance Kennedy's Background

• Former Assistant United States Attorney
• Former Assistant District Attorney
• U.S. Army Judge Advocate
• Founding Attorney, Lance Kennedy Law
• 7 federal jury trials
• 50+ Texas jury trials
• Firm trial record: nearly 1,000 combined jury trials
• Admitted before the Supreme Court of the United States
• Admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
• Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2025 and 2026
• National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, Criminal Defense
• Member, The National Trial Lawyers
• Member, DUI Defense Lawyers Association
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• Member, Texas Bar College
• Avvo "Superb" rating
• Top-rated on Justia
• BBB Accredited Business, A+ rating
• 5.0 average Google rating
• More than 300 five-star reviews
• 99% client satisfaction rate
• More than 50% dismissal rate in resolved 2026 cases
• Fluent in Spanish

Practice Areas

• DWI offenses
• Federal crimes
• Drug cases
• Sex crimes
• Weapons charges
• White-collar crimes
• Domestic violence
• Assault charges
• Homicide defense
• Probation violations

Education

• J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
• ALM, Harvard University
• B.A., University of Texas at Austin

Memberships

• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• Member, Texas Bar College
• Member, The National Trial Lawyers
• Council Member, Constitutional Law Section, State Bar of Texas
• Member, Robert W. Calvert Inn of Court
• Member, Federalist Society

In the Media

• Federal appeals court upholds Texas classroom Ten Commandments display law, CBS Austin
• Mistrial declared on day one of jury selection in Daniel Perry deadly conduct case, CBS Austin
• Texas teachers union sues state over social media investigations, CBS Austin
• Lance Kennedy Law scales its practice with 8am, 8am
• Will Austin ISD have to post the Ten Commandments in schools? Legal expert weighs in, CBS Austin
• Christopher Taylor returns to court as defense presents case in deadly conduct sentencing, CBS Austin
• Travis County DA releases threats received, defending request for increased security, CBS Austin
• Meet Lance Kennedy, Bold Journey
• Exploring Life & Business with Lance Kennedy of Lance Kennedy Law, Voyage Austin
• Can We Trust AI to Decide Right from Wrong?, The Brian Nichols Show

Call or contact us online. The first conversation is free. We will tell you what you are facing, what the government has to prove, what defenses may exist, and what we can do next. You do not have to face the government alone.