Overall Rating
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.
4.8 /5.0
12 Client Reviews
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Derek Andrew Samuelson
also known as Samuelson Law, PC
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About Derek
Biography
Derek Samuelson is a trial lawyer who specializes in defending criminal cases in state and federal court. Mr. Samuelson has been recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers (2013-present) and a Colorado Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers® (2019-present). He is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest recognition possible in the practice of law. Mr. Samuelson also enjoys a Superb 10/10 rating from Avvo (2015-present).
Mr. Samuelson is proud to provide comprehensive legal representation to people charged with criminal offenses throughout northern Colorado and in federal court. Mr. Samuelson has defended clients against everything from DUI charges to the death penalty and has established a track record of trial success in the process.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Samuelson spent more than a decade representing people charged with felonies and misdemeanors for the Colorado State Public Defender in the Fort Collins, Greeley, and Denver Regional Offices. He was also selected to serve on the Capital Defense Unit and named the ‘Attorney of the Year’ by the Colorado State Public Defender for outstanding service in the practice of criminal defense. Mr. Samuelson was chosen from over 300 criminal defense attorneys across Colorado for the award.
Mr. Samuelson’s courtroom experience is extensive. He has handled thousands of criminal cases and defended clients charged with virtually every crime on the books in Colorado. He has tried and won numerous high-profile cases.
Mr. Samuelson received his law degree from the University of Denver where he graduated with high academic honors, earning membership to the Law Review and the Order of St. Ives (top 10% of the class). Mr. Samuelson earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont, where he was a Dean’s List student and captained a nationally-ranked NCAA Division I soccer team
Away from the courtroom, Mr. Samuelson teaches continuing legal education courses to other lawyers across the country on topics such as trial tactics, cross-examination, and death penalty jury selection. He is also frequently called upon to speak to college classes and community service organizations about issues in the criminal justice system.
Mr. Samuelson is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Larimer County Bar Association. He has also served on the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Title IX Committee, National Legal Aid & Defender Association Advisory Board, the Weld County Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, and the Larimer County Juvenile Drug Court Board.
Criminal Defense Specialist - Top 100 Trial Lawyer & Colorado Super Lawyer
Practice Areas
2
Practice Areas
Criminal Defense
70%
DUI and DWI
30%
Fees and Rates
Cost
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
Licenses
Licensed in Colorado for 26 years
State: Colorado
Acquired: 1999
No misconduct found
Location
Samuelson Law, P.C.
215 W. Oak Street, Suite 601, Fort Collins, CO, 80521
samuelsonlaw.com/Attorney-Profile/Derek-Samuelson.shtmlOnline Presence
Other places you can find Derek online.
Derek Andrew Samuelson's Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 6 - 9 of 9 reviews | 5 stars
Posted by anonymous | June 18, 2015 | Criminal Defense
Sex Assault Charges -- Case Dismissed
Mr. Samuelson and his team come with my highest recommendation. Derek was referred to me by a number of top Denver law firms as the best attorney in the region to handle sex assault charges, and his exceptional reputation proved to be well-deserved as he was able to have the case dismissed. Derek...
Posted by Roger | June 12, 2015 | Criminal Defense
Committed to my innocence.
Derek was very committed to my innocence, working diligently to marshall every resource he could to my case. He wasn't always gentle or sweet, but he was totally focused on getting a not guilty verdict. He worked extensively with myself and my family to identify witnesses, and his investigator was ...
Posted by Eric | June 11, 2015 | Expungement
Roger
Derek did an excellent job in a situation f¡rife with police and judiciary misconduct. He opened my eyes to the murky justice of Weld County Colorado and managed to make use of a very new law to clear his client arrest record. I am very grateful.
Posted by Kyle | April 05, 2015 | Lawsuits & Disputes
Fake ID
Derek was extremely experienced with my type of case and with the judges in Fort Collins. He immediately knew the course of action to provide the best outcome for me. He executed his plan in a timely manner and made my life easier.
Derek Andrew Samuelson's Lawyer Endorsements
"Derek Samuelson does not shy away from representing people with complex legal problems who need to exercise their right to trial. He is intelligent, dedicated and ethical."
"I endorse Derek. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."
"Derek is one the best in Northern Colorado. His expertise in the criminal law is second to none. He fights hard for his clients and does not blink during confrontation. One of the few "true" defense lawyers in the Fort Collins area. I highly recommend Derek."
"I endorse Derek Samuelson. Derek is second to none in a courtroom, and his reputation, knowledge and experience make him a force to reckon with."
"I practice criminal defense in the Denver, Colorado area. Whenever I get calls from people who need a lawyer in the Ft. Collins area, I refer them to Derek. Derek is an excellent lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. I believe Derek Samuelson is the best trial advocate I have ever seen in 15 years of practice. Derek and I have worked together and on opposing sides, and he is an absolute pleasure to work with. His skills are simply unmatched."
James Castle
Criminal defense lawyer
Kirk Waible
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Erin Wilson
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Miller Leonard
Criminal defense lawyer
Experience
Honors
2025
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2024
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2023
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2022
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2021
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2020
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2019
Selected as a Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2019
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2013
Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyer
2013
AV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
2012
AV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
2008
Attorney of the Year, Colorado State Public Defender
1999
The Order of St. Ives, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
1998
Law Review, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Work Experience
2009 - Present
Trial Lawyer, Samuelson Law PC
1999 - 2009
Trial Attorney, Colorado State Public Defender's Office
Associations
2013 - Present
National Trial Lawyers AssociationMember
2010 - Present
Criminal Justice ActPanel Member
2009 - Present
Larimer County Bar AssociationMember
2009 - Present
Colorado Alternate Defense CounselLawyer
2008 - Present
National Association of Criminal Defense LawyersFaculty
1999 - Present
Colorado Bar AssociationMember
1998 - Present
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar AssociationMember
2013 - 2013
South Carolina Commission of Indigent DefenseFaculty
2012 - 2012
Arizona Public Defender AssociationFaculty
2011 - 2011
National Legal Aid and Defender AssociationFaculty
2011 - 2011
National Legal Aid and Defender AssociationAdvisory Board
2011 - 2011
Oklahoma Indigent Defense SystemFaculty
2008 - 2013
Southern Center for Human RightsFaculty
2004 - 2006
Weld County Criminal Justice Advisory BoardMember
Education
1999
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1996
University of Vermont
BA - Bachelor of Arts
N/A
University of Queensland
Speaking Engagements
2019
National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Boulder, CO
Title IX - Defending Sexual Misconduct Claims in Schools, Colleges & Universities
2019
Colorado State University, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Fort Collins, CO
The Role of Toxicology in Criminal Cases
2018
Contra Costa County Public Defender, Martinez, CA
Capital Jury Selection: The Colorado Method
2018
Colorado State University, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Fort Collins, CO
The Role of Toxicology in Criminal Cases
2017
Larimer County Bar Association Professionalism Committee's Annual Ethics Seminar, Fort Collins, CO
Ethics
2017
Florida Public Defender Association, Tampa, FL
Capital Voir Dire Training: Theory and Intense Practice
2017
CU Law School, Boulder, CO
National College of Capital Voir Dire
2016
CU Law School, Boulder, CO
National College of Capital Voir Dire
2015
Society for Constitutional Education, Loveland, CO
The Fourth Amendment (with 8th Judicial District Attorney Cliff Reidel and Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith)
2015
CU Law School, Boulder, CO
National College of Capital Voir Dire
2014
Cuyahoga County Public Defender's Office, Cleveland, OH
Capital Jury Selection (with David Lane)
2014
CU Law School, Boulder CO
National College of Capital Voir Dire
2014
Colorado Independent, Denver, CO
Discussing the Death Penalty (with Ben Autobee, Senator Rhonda Fields, and Adams County District Attorney Dave Young)
2014
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, Greeley, CO
Jury Selection in Media Cases
2013
Larimer County Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Series, Ft. Collins, CO
Jury Deselection that Works … and Doesn't Alienate Your Judge (with District Court Judge Thomas French)
2013
Capital Voir Dire Training, Myrtle Beach, SC
Capital Voir Dire
2013
Capital Voir Dire Seminar: Theories and Intense Practice, CU Law School, Boulder, CO
Capital Voir Dire
2012
Capital Voir Dire Seminar: Theories and Intense Practice, CU Law School, Boulder, CO
Capital Voir Dire
2012
Arizona Public Defender Association, Colorado Method of Capital Voir Dire, Tempe, AZ
Colorado Method
2011
Oklahoma Indigent Defense System - Federal Grant Training, Norman, Oklahoma
Death Penalty Jury Selection
2011
National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Life in the Balance, Annual National Conference, Orlando, FL
Colorado Method of Death Penalty Jury Selection
2011
Capital Voir Dire Seminar: Theories and Intense Practice, CU Law School, Boulder, CO
Capital Voir Dire
2010
Capital Voir Dire Training: Theories and Intense Practice, CU Law School, Boulder, CO
Capital Voir Dire
2010
ADC Death Penalty Mitigation Program, Denver, CO
Mitigation Themes
2010
ADC Death Penalty Mitigation Program, Denver, CO
Tying Trauma to the Colorado Method: Application of Theory to Practice
2009
Courts in the Community Workshop (with Judge Dave Furman, Colorado Court of Appeals)
Courts in the Community
2009
Colorado State Public Defender Annual Conference, Broomfield, CO
Proper File Documentation (with Tamara Brady, Chief Trial Deputy, Colorado State Public Defender)
2009
Capital Voir Dire Training: Theories and Intense Program, CU Law School, Boulder, CO
Capital Voir Dire
2008
Colorado State Public Defender Annual Conference, Crested Butte, CO
Overview of the Colorado Method of Capital Jury Selection (with Doug Wilson, Colorado State Public Defender)
2008
Colorado State Public Defender Annual Conference, Crested Butte, CO
Cross-Examining the Snitch Witness
2008
Capital Voir Dire Training: Theories and Intense Training, CU Law School, Boulder, CO
Capital Voir Dire
2006
Weld County Chamber of Commerce Panel Discussion Series
Criminal Justice Panel Discussion (with Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck and Weld County District Court Judge Marcelo Kopkow)
2005
University of Northern Colorado
The Role of the Prosecutor vs. Defense Counsel (with Chief Deputy Weld County District Attorney Zeke Knox)
2004
Public Defender Annual Conference, Breckenridge, CO
Sane Nurses and Debunking Medical Mythology in Sex Assault Cases (with Deputy State Public Defenders Jamie Roth and Sheryl Uhlmann)
2004
Colorado State Public Defender Lecture Series, Denver, CO
Defending the DUI
Publications
2013
Inside the Minds (Aspatore Books)
Trends in DUI Discovery
2012
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Rap Sheet
Case Dismissal Doesn’t Equal A Clean Record
Languages
English