PRO

Licensed for 37 years

DUI and DWI Lawyer at San Jose, CA
Practice Areas: DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Juvenile

Free Consultation

About Stephanie

Biography

Have you been arrested and need help? Please call the Law office of Stephanie Rickard for answers.

I have been a criminal attorney for over 20 years and know how to get the best result possible.

I have a dedicated team of experts I use to assure the best result possible in DUI cases.

I have a long term relationship with the juvenile system and a through understanding of all options

Practice Areas

DUI and DWI 40%

40%

Criminal Defense 30%

30%

Juvenile Law 30%

30%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 60 minutes

Payment Methods

Cash
Check
Credit Card

Awards

2025 2024 2023

...

+ 12

Licenses

Licensed in California for 37 years

State: California

Acquired: 1988

Active

No misconduct found

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Location

Law Office of Stephanie Rickard

1625 The Alameda Suite 801, San Jose, CA, 95126

stephanierickard.com/

Get Directions

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Gallery

Online Presence

Other places you can find Stephanie online.

Stephanie Rickard's Reviews

Overall Rating
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.

5.0 /5.0

186 Client Reviews

Avvo

5.0

(181)

Lawyers.com

5.0

(5 )

See client reviews from Lawyers.com

Showing 1 - 5 of 40 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by Harlen | February 25, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Stephanie saved me!

In August I had a family argument that unfortunately developed into an arrest and felony charge against me. Being an asian with almost 0 knowledge to US justice system, I panicked and didn't know what to do. After 1 day in county jail and then the bail release, I started to search for attorney becau...se I know it's the key. I searched for many attorneys online, but none gave me the peace of mind I was looking for. By a stroke of luck, while I was struggling to file a document at the Palo Alto Courthouse, I noticed Stephanie sitting near the clerk’s window. She was on a call regarding a case, and her clarity of thought and sheer confidence immediately struck me. At the time, I was having trouble because the court hadn’t assigned a case number yet. Stephanie, having finished her call, proactively approached me to help. After learning about my situation, she offered to handle the filing for me since she is frequently at the courthouse and could track the case ID. Later, I found her profile on Avvo and was deeply impressed: her background as a former DA combined with her extensive experience in criminal defense gave her a 360-degree understanding of the legal process. Meeting her felt like a divine intervention, and hiring her was the best decision I could have made. Fast forward six months: my case has been reduced from a felony charge to a minor infraction/misdemeanor of "Disturbing the Peace" (PC 415) with no bail required. This "dream result" is entirely thanks to Stephanie. Her excellence stands out in several ways: Empathy and Support: In the early stages, I was under immense emotional and financial stress, fearing re-arrest and family collapse. Stephanie provided invaluable comfort, explaining that the DA’s strategy is often to "overcharge" with the heaviest codes to create leverage for plea bargains. Moreover, Stephanie was incredibly mindful of my background. Coming from Asia, I had a very different cultural perspective and understanding of the judicial system. She took the time to patiently explain how the U.S. legal system operates and why certain strategies were more effective than others in this specific context." Strategic Communication: As a former prosecutor, she knows exactly how DAs think. She shifted my perspective: it’s not just about "what happened," but rather "what the DA can prove" vs. "what we can prove." Clarity and Evidence: Under her guidance, we built a compelling chain of evidence. She used this as her strongest leverage to secure the plea deal. Courtroom Presence: Stephanie is unparalleled in the courtroom—articulate, confident, and always in control of the narrative. I've observed several other attorneys' defense in the court room. And Stephanie is definitely the BEST! As she predicted from the start, the DA eventually agreed to a PC 415 (Disturbing the Peace) plea bargain—one of the best possible outcomes for such a case. Today, as I breathe the air of freedom again, I hope I never need her services again. However, I know there are others facing similar hardships due to unfortunate events. I highly recommend Stephanie; you can trust her completely to fight for the best possible conclusion to your case. Again, I highly recommend Stephanie should you have need of DV defense service. 强烈推荐！

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Stephanie Rickard

Replied last March 13, 2026

Thank you for the lovely review. I am happy I could help! Stephanie Rickard

Posted by anonymous | February 21, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Domestic Violence

Recommend!

DV case. Stephanie is responsive and understanding in her communication with me. She gives specific instructions that turned out to be helpful. Her collaborators are reliable. She is experienced with the office and the court. She has many cases going on but she will still fight for you herself in per...son. She says don’t hesitate to contact her anytime and she means that. She might be in court and hang up but she will get beck to you. If not, ping her again, she will respond. I feel lucky to have found her and worked with her excellent collaborators.

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Posted by anonymous | December 04, 2025 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Expertise & Outcome

I can’t thank Stephanie Rickard enough for her exceptional work on my DUI case. From our first meeting, she was incredibly supportive and clear about every step of the process. She kept me informed and answered all my questions promptly, which significantly reduced my stress. Her expertise led to gr...eat result, and I highly recommend her.

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Posted by anonymous | September 24, 2025 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Stephanie is your best ROI

While I made the worst decision that resulted in a DUI, hiring Stephanie and her team was the best decision. They are one of a kind, and the best ROI no doubt. I was referred to Stephanie by a friend and I'm so grateful for that referral. I spoke to a handful of attorneys for my DUI case prior -- St...ephanie easily came off as the most knowledgeable and experienced. She is a straight shooter and very affordable. It was clear she knew what she was doing - laying my predicted outcome in minutes. Sometimes she didn't get back to me as mentioned, but just follow up and she'll get back. I think its important to put things in perspective -- I'm one of many clients and DUI cases are generally straightforward compared to the criminal cases she manages. I could tell she had my best interest while being very direct with the expected outcome. She represented me in court, took care of all the documents and processes, and her team (shoutout to Jorge and Linda) jumped in to navigate me through the hundreds of questions I had for DUI classes, license, community service, and many more. This was my first time getting in trouble with the law, so I was overwhelmed, terrified, and devastated, I'm not sure I would've been treated with so much respect and kindness and received such positive outcome had it not been for Stephanie and her team. 1000% recommend Stephanie Rickard.

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Posted by Connor | August 13, 2025 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

5 star

Stephanie is very kind, professional, empathetic, and efficient. She represented me in a DUI case and I am happy with how she handled everything.

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Stephanie Rickard's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Stephanie

Dmitry Stadlin

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 14

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Judge Whisperer and Attorney Extraordinaire I am a fellow attorney and have had multiple cases with Stephanie. She is an incredibly caring and warm attorney who listens to her clients, and deeply cares for them. She has a magical ability to convince judges to adopt her suggestions and recommendations that always benefit her clients. I am always in awe of how effortless she makes things look, while obviously putting in a ton of prep work and working hard for her clients."

Elaine Dai

DUI and DWI lawyer | Feb 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. She is very well-respected in the legal community."

Richard Wingerden

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. I have had the opportunity to witness her work in the courtroom and have found her to be diligent and hardworking. She is well respected in the legal community."

Douglas Borthwick

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Sharonrose Cannistraci

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Stephanie is an experienced criminal defense lawyers. I have referred cases to her for nearly 18 years."

Eben Kurtzman

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Saeed Ghaffari

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Stephanie is a great criminal defense lawyer. I highly recommend her. She is very smart & competent."

Mark Heyl

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Adrienne Dell

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Christine McCall

Criminal defense lawyer | May 23

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I consult with criminal defense attorneys almost daily about issues that overlap with defense against professional discipline by State license agencies, so I am quite the expert when I say that Ms. Rickard's services and efforts on behalf of her clients are striking and extraordinary. She is uncommonly comprehensive and thorough in her investigations and analyses, and her judgment reveals wide experience and true compassion. Ms. Rickard is on my short list of resources to be guarded against the day that one of my family or friends is in trouble, and I would confidently refer my clients to Ms. Rickard for representation in any criminal case."

Therese Hankel

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Stephanie is a very hard working, aggressive criminal defense attorney who is very compassionate."

Robert Kopelson

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced. Nice person too."

Jon Pettis

Unknown lawyer | Apr 20

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Shawn Collins

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 10

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Holden Green

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Nancy Bucknell

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Andrew Westover

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work and would recommend her to others"

Taryn Hook

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work."

Shawn Salehieh

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Stepahine Rickard is a very dedicated, ethical and very knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer in Santa Clara County. I"

David Lovik

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. Stephanie is a skilled criminal defense attorney and asset to the legal community."

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Robert Morgan

Estate planning lawyer

Eva Martelle

Family lawyer

Sharonrose Cannistraci

Business lawyer

Andrew Westover

Criminal defense lawyer

Shawn Salehieh

Criminal defense lawyer

Nicholas Juhl

DUI and DWI lawyer

David Lovik

Personal injury lawyer

Robert Bohn

Personal injury lawyer

Nors Davidson

DUI and DWI lawyer

Nicole Fraser

Family lawyer

Nicholas Emanuel

Criminal defense lawyer

Scotty Storey

Personal injury lawyer

Keith Allen

Criminal defense lawyer

Denise Yaniv

Criminal defense lawyer

Lesa Morse-Glucroft

Criminal defense lawyer

Gordon Fauth

Criminal defense lawyer

Charles Magill

Criminal defense lawyer

Laura Guzman

Criminal defense lawyer

Ryan McClure

Criminal defense lawyer

John Kaman

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating: 10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2025

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2024

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2023

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2022

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2021

Client Champion Award, Martindale-Hubbell

2021

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2020

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2016

BV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2015

Client Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

1987

Best oral advocate, Santa Clara University

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Work Experience

1992 - Present

Sole Proprietor, Law Office of Stephanie Rickard

1990 - 2014

Attorney, Bowman & Brooke, LLP

1989 - 1991

Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara County Distirct Attorney's Office

1988 - 2014

Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara District Attorney

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Associations

1998 - Present

California DUI Lawyers Association

Member

1993 - Present

Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association

Executive Committee Member

1992 - Present

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

1992 - Present

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice

Member

1988 - Present

Santa Clara County Bar Association

Member

1988 - Present

State Bar of California

Member

1988 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

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Sample of Legal Cases

Robbery

Juvenile Court volunteer work

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Education

1988

Santa Clara University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1985

San Jose State University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

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Speaking Engagements

2017

San Jose State University

criminal risk management

2015

Town of Los Gatos

Search and Seizure

2011

guest speaker series

Overview of criminal defense practice

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Languages

Spanish

See All Languages Spoken See Less Languages Spoken

Stephanie Rickard

About Stephanie

Biography

Have you been arrested and need help? Please call the Law office of Stephanie Rickard for answers.

I have been a criminal attorney for over 20 years and know how to get the best result possible.

I have a dedicated team of experts I use to assure the best result possible in DUI cases.

I have a long term relationship with the juvenile system and a through understanding of all options

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Payment Methods

Awards

Licenses

Licensed in California for 37 years

Location

Law Office of Stephanie Rickard

Gallery

Online Presence

Stephanie Rickard's Reviews

Overall Rating This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.

Stephanie Rickard

Stephanie Rickard's Lawyer Endorsements

Experience

Honors

Work Experience

Associations

Sample of Legal Cases

Education

Speaking Engagements

Languages

Overall Rating
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.