About Michael Phillips

The lawyer you actually work with

When you call this office, you reach me — not an intake screener, not an assistant who passes you down the line. I'm Michael Phillips, a trial lawyer who has completed more than 100 jury trials to verdict in over 30 years of defense practice in California. That's a level of courtroom experience few DUI lawyers have, and it's exactly what creates leverage in cases where the State expects a quick plea.

I built this practice on a simple idea: that someone facing a DUI deserves the same seriousness, preparation, and plain honesty I'd want for my own family. A DUI arrest tends to catch good people on an ordinary night, and the system that follows can feel overwhelming and impersonal. My job is to stand between you and that — to explain it clearly, take the worry off your shoulders where I can, and fight for the best result the facts allow.

A career built in the courtroom

My path started at Santa Clara University School of Law, where I earned my law degree in 1987 — a school I'm proud to have attended, and where I was named Best Oral Advocate. Even then, I knew I was destined to be a trial lawyer. For a couple of years afterward I taught middle school, then clerked for a Superior Court judge in Seattle before stepping into the work that truly shaped me: the public defender's office.

As a public defender, you learn to try cases — real ones, in front of real juries, often one after another. Over the years I've completed more than 100 jury trials to verdict, the full range from driving offenses to murder and nearly everything in between. Any lawyer who tries cases knows what that takes: the preparation is relentless, and you give a little of yourself to every client you stand up for. I wouldn't trade it. I love what I do, and after all these years I still love being in the courtroom.

Why that matters in a DUI case

A lot of lawyers handle DUIs. Far fewer have actually carried more than a hundred cases all the way to a jury verdict. That experience changes how a case is defended. I know where DUI cases break — the legality of the stop, how the field sobriety tests were given, the reliability of the breath and blood evidence, and the Title 17 rules behind all of it. And just as important, I know how to take a weak prosecution case in front of a jury rather than simply pleading it out. Prosecutors know the difference, and that readiness is the leverage that works in your favor.

That trial-readiness matters most in serious cases — felony DUI, DUI causing injury, repeat offenses — but it shapes the outcome in straightforward cases too. A first-offense DUI resolves better when the prosecutor knows the defense is prepared to actually try it.

How I practice

Trial-ready, not a plea mill

I prepare every case as though it's going to trial, because that preparation is exactly what creates leverage at the negotiating table. With over a hundred jury verdicts behind me, that's not a slogan — it's simply how I work.

• You work directly with me — the same lawyer from the first call to the last. I keep my practice small on purpose so I can give each client real attention.
• Honest counsel. I'll tell you straight what your case is worth and what's realistic — no false promises, and no scare tactics.
• Respect, not judgment. Good people end up here, and you'll be treated like one from the moment we talk.

Credentials

Roots in this community

I'm not just a lawyer who works here — I live here, and I'm invested in this place. I'm an avid Nordic skier and a U.S. Ski & Snowboard certified instructor, and I coach a local Nordic ski team. I cross paths with the people I represent at the trailhead, the grocery store, and around town. That's part of why I treat my clients the way I do: like neighbors, because they are. In a community this size, your reputation and mine both matter, and I don't take either lightly.

This is also why a Sacramento or Bay Area firm cannot represent you the same way a local lawyer can. I know the Nevada County courts — both the Nevada City courthouse and the Truckee branch — from inside, not from making occasional drives up the hill. I know the judges, the prosecutors, the local DUI school programs, and the practical realities of how these cases actually move through this system. That knowledge translates into better outcomes for clients.

Why this work matters to me

One mistake on a single evening shouldn't define the rest of someone's life. I've seen how a DUI can threaten a person's license, their job, their record, and their peace of mind — and I've seen how much of that can be protected when the right work is done early and done well. That's the work I'm here to do for you.

If you've been arrested for a DUI in Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee, or anywhere in Nevada County, let's talk. The first consultation is free — and if the arrest was recent, the 10-day deadline to protect your license is already running, so don't wait to call.

Call (530) 265-0186