Zachary Drew Wechsler

I applied to the state bar and received a request to meet with the Moral Character Committee regarding my record. I relied on good online reviews and met with Mr. Wechsler. I ultimately hired him to guide me through the process. Mr. Wechsler was not a good fit for me. First, Mr. Wechsler stated hi...s advice was for me to provide the bar committee with a written statement. He said this would give me an opportunity to explain the conduct that concerned them. This may have been good advice, but I felt like my work with him was so focused on that written statement that I wasn’t prepared to speak with the Committee members during the meeting itself. I asked Mr. Wechsler at two different times what types of questions the Committee members were likely to ask, and his response was something general like “they will ask about the things in your invitation to the meeting and anything since.” While generally true, I would have benefited from specific sample questions that would have enabled me to prepare responses, help considering the best responses, and a higher emphasis on preparation for the meeting itself. Second, Mr. Wechsler was quite responsive until I hired him, when he became less so. Of particular distress were my attempts to contact him leading up to my meeting with the Moral Character Committee. I hired Mr. Wechsler less than three weeks before my meeting specifically to guide me through it. Two weeks before my meeting, Mr. Wechsler failed to respond for 8 days, despite a follow up phone call and two emails. Because I felt lost in the process, because I had made him aware of the date of my meeting when hiring him, and because of the critical nature of this meeting for my admission, I found this lack of responsiveness upsetting. To his credit, Mr. Wechsler is highly knowledgeable about the moral character process and I do think I benefited to some extent from his knowledge. However, I expect other attorneys have similar knowledge and would have been more helpful for me in preparing for my meeting. I felt as though Mr. Wechsler had a series of steps he always uses and did not individually consider what would be best for my case. Mr. Wechsler told me what outcome to expect. I ultimately felt uncomfortable with the message Mr. Wechsler advised me to convey and I decided to follow my own best judgment rather than his advice. By so doing, I received a better outcome than he had told me to expect.

It took a while but I was finally cleared for moral character after a DUI. Mr. Wechlser helped me with my statements, communicated with the bar on my behalf, and prepared me for the informal conference. I hadn’t done the things he said, I would not have been cleared the same day of my informal confer...ence.

I was preparing for my moral character application when I realized I should talk to an expert about whether or not I should retain legal counsel due to some past events. I reached out to Zach on a Saturday about my concerns and he responded to me immediately (on a Saturday). I mention the day be...cause it shows that he is dedicated, attentive, and is willing to go that extra mile for you. There are so many lawyers out there that will have their assistant call you or will get back to you until the next business day. I decided to retain him because of his reviews and his ability to communicate with me promptly. I read so many reviews online about individuals who decided to be in pro per and ended up receiving a negative determination. This terrified me, but it makes sense because many of us going through the process might have some familiarity with certain aspects of different kinds of law, but not with the CA State Bar. Zach does have experience and puts you at an advantage when retaining him. Graduating from law school doesn’t make us equipped to fight our case before the CA State Bar. Retaining an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer can be financially difficult, but it is an investment towards your future. The moral character application process is mentally draining, overwhelming and stressful, but Zach was there from beginning to the end (when I received my positive determination). Throughout the process we communicated on holidays, weekends and evenings; Zach was always there. I would not have received a positive determination without the help of Zach Weschler. I will forever recommend him. Please do not go through this process alone. At the end of our attorney-client relationship he gave me some sound advice which I greatly appreciate and will always carry with me.

Zach immediately gathered the facts, counseled me, and led me through a challenging period in my professional life. His clear understanding of the issues and skill in crafting a response led to the best result under the circumstances of this case. I highly recommend him as counsel in these matters....