Mark Andrew Mcbride

I defend people who are charged with serious state and federal cases around the country. In the same capacity, I also do appeals and writs, which is where you try to reverse a conviction. I've handled cases from Hawaii to Maine, Florida to Oregon, Texas to South Dakota and just about everywhere in between.

I was a board certified criminal law specialist by the age of 39. I'm routinely in the media, and have been for years, either for my own cases or in terms of providing commentary.  While I have represented countless celebrities, I'm most proud of the fact that when other defense lawyers get in trouble, they call me. I'm not much of a plea bargain guy. There are lawyers who will take your money and start in on you, attempting to scare you into pleading guilty. 

I'm not that guy.

I've been practicing law for 21 years, having been admitted in Utah before California. I started my practice with $ in the bank the day after I passed the Bar Exam. I was 26 years old. Certainly defending high profile cases or celebrities can be lucrative, but that's not why I do it. I do it because I love people -- especially people who come from an array of backgrounds. I'm fluent in Spanish and French, and I can read and understand Italian. I live by Bertrand Russell's famous quote: "Remember your humanity, and forget all the rest."

My mentor was David Kenner. He was basically the first criminal defense attorney in America who focused on rap and hip hop clients. He was "there at the beginning." He was there when West Coast rap and Death Row Records took off in the late 1980's. He acquitted Snoop Dogg in 1991 in a murder case, and has represented all the household names in rap. (Dre, Cube, Easy, Tupac (RIP.) I met David one month after arriving in California, 21 years ago. To this day, I talk with him at least three times per week. I will never be able to quantify how much I've learned from him. I call him my father "in law."

People often ask me why I defend the "worst of the worst?" That's a fair question. I understand it completely, but my answer has always been the same: "The more controversial or notorious the client, the closer I feel to my higher power."

Thank you for reading this. Mark.

_____________

NOTE: In terms of media appearances, there are too many news articles and stories which can be detailed here, but I would encourage you to visit my website to see a sampling: . Here are a few:

See me profiled as one of LA's go-to celebrity lawyers:

?page=0,0

?q=articles/news/the_black_diaspora_news/34323

(quote from me at bottom of page)

(go to bottom of page)