Meet Lawrence Zimmerman

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Meet Lawrence Zimmerman
Lawrence Zimmerman

Lawrence Zimmerman

  • Rated Super Lawyers Lawrence Zimmerman
  • AV Preeminent Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence 2018
  • Avvo Clients Choice
  • Geogia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President 2020

Best Criminal Defense Attorney in Atlanta

Lawrence J. Zimmerman has been representing those accused of serious crimes for over 25 years, both in the state and federal courts. He has acquitted people of crimes ranging from murder to rape and reversed convictions in the appellate courts. He attended University of Florida undergraduate school and then went to law school at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. After law school, he moved to Atlanta and opened his own law firm within the first six months of practicing as a lawyer.

Having earned a stellar reputation from decades of successfully representing clients, defense attorney Zimmerman is recognized by clients, peers, and media as an expert in criminal defense matters.

Respect and Personal Care for Every Client

He has also been involved in several high-profile cases. Regardless of publicity, he considers each single client his most important client. Recently, he won an acquittal in Douglas County Superior Court for a man falsely accused of child molestation; won a reversal of a contempt action of a lawyer in the Georgia Court of Appeals, and helped on an amicus brief in which the Georgia Supreme Court last September 2020 reversed the Georgia Court of Appeals.

A Leader of Defense Lawyers in Georgia

He is the past President of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL), which has over 1,700 members in Georgia. As GACDL President from 2020-2021, he worked closely with the trial courts, Supreme Court, and multiple government agencies to help address problems in the criminal legal system and come up with solutions during the statewide judicial emergency including a pandemic handbook issued by GACDL. Currently, he is on the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Board (NACDL), and was recently admitted as a fellow into the prestigious American Board of Criminal Lawyers. Since 2015, he has been working as a legal consultant with the Atlanta Falcons security team.

A Recognized Criminal Defense Expert

In 2017, he was one of several lawyers, along with the news anchors, to receive a Southeastern Region Emmy Award for their Dream Team segments on NBC’s 11 Alive. Also, in June 2017 the Georgia Bar Journal published his article “How Not to Get Thrown In Jail,” which discussed contempt of court issues. In 2018, he received the prestigious Gideon’s Promise Award from the Southern Center for Human Rights for his pro bono work for the man accused of setting the I-85 bridge fire. He has also been selected by his peers as a Georgia Super Lawyer since 2018. Most recently, in October 2021 he won a national election to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Trusted Legal Analyst for Major News Programs

In addition to his work as a lawyer, he is a trusted legal analyst for several Atlanta news stations and a regular on the newly minted CourtTV. He has been quoted in many newspapers including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and the Miami Herald to name just a few. He has been on the AJC’s “Breakdown” Series podcast several times. He has been featured on the front page of the Daily Report, which is Georgia’s only legal newspaper for lawyers too many times to count. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Anderson Cooper, CBS Morning News, CNN, HLN, NPR, and he is even mentioned in ABC news anchor Amy Robach’s book “Better”. He is co-executive producer of a new podcast that was released in the summer of 2020 titled “Racket, inside the Gold Club.” He has a patient wife and two great children.

Lawrence Zimmerman – Professional Recognition

Classes, Seminars Speaking Engagements

  • The Gathering Spot 2020 – Criminal Justice Reform
  • GA Supreme Court Chief Justice Melton’s Panel on Professionalism – Mr. Zimmerman was invited to speak in June 2020 to discuss professionalism in court during the time of COVID-19.
  • 2019 Divorces and Jury Trials – Internationally known divorce lawyer Randy Kessler invited Mr. Zimmerman to speak to divorce lawyers on how to handle jury trials. It is very rare to have jury trials in divorce matters, so Mr. Zimmerman spoke about his experience in criminal cases.
  • Don Samuel’s Case Law Update 2019 – Presented on behalf of famed lawyer his case law update to the Clayton County Bar Association.
  • Emory University School of Law 2019 – “Working on Television As A Legal Analyst” – Speaker
  • Digital Evidence Two Day Seminar at GSU Law School 2019– “Winning Your Case with Digital Evidence” – Co-Chair and Speaker
  • Emory University School of Law- October 2018 – Panel Speaker
  • Cobb County Legal Professionals Association June 2018 – Speaker
  • IP & Entertainment North American Law Summit Nov. 2017 -Speaker
  • GACDL Winter Seminar 2017– Speaker, “Handling High Profile, Low Profile and No Profile Cases”
  • 2017 State Bar of Georgia, St. Simons Seminar, “Contempt of Court” – Speaker
  • Georgia Childcare Owners Association 2017 Seminar – Speaker, “Crisis Communications and the Media”
  • 2017 Entertainment, Sports, And IP Law Seminar, North American Law Summit – “Legally On TV: Emmy Award Winning Dream Team” – Speaker
  • 2016 Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Winter Seminar, – “Strikeforce Contempt Training” – Speaker
  • Cobb County Bar Criminal Defense Association – Speaker 2015, “Effective Assistance of Counsel”
  • GACDL Spring Seminar 2015 21st Century Forensics – Chair
  • 2015 Kennesaw State University – “Questions And Answers with Students- Paralegal/Criminal Justice Class”
  • GACDL Winter Seminar 2015 Article on Zealous Representation
  • Annual Georgia Professional Bail Bond Association – Speaker Oct, 2014. Savannah, GA
  • 2011 Law Review CLE, “Practicing Federal Criminal Defense” – Speaker
  • 2011 Law Review CLE, “Handling Your First DUI,” – Speaker
  • Brasstown Valley Seminar Fall 2011 GACDL Fall Seminar – Chair
  • 2007 NRA Self- Defense Course, “Carrying Concealed Weapons Law And Self-Defense Law,” – Speaker
  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Winter 2006 Seminar, Chairperson
  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Fall 2006 Seminar Speaker on the topic,”Transitioning Your Law Practice from State Criminal Defense to Federal Criminal Defense”
  • National Rifle Association,Recurrent Speaker ”Firearms and Legal Issues in Georgia as it Pertains to Self-Defense and Carrying a Concealed Weapon”
  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Fall 2004 Seminar, Chairperson
  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Winter 2001 Seminar, Chairperson
  • Georgia Indigent Defense Council Seminar 2001, Chairperson

Education

  • University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (1994) Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
  • Roger Williams University, Ralph R. Papitto School of Law, Bristol, Rhode Island (1998) Juris Doctorate

License

  • 1998-present State Bar of Georgia Active Member in Good Standing

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court Western North Carolina (Pro Hac Vice)
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon (Pro Hac Vice)
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
  • Georgia Court of Appeals
  • Supreme Court of Georgia

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL) – president 2020
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) – Member 1999 – present
  • Cobb County Bar Association Member 1999 – present

Publications

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