Robert J. Dvorak

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Robert J. Dvorak

Attorney
Phone: (414) 271-3400
Fax: (414) 271-3841
E-mail: [email protected]

Areas of Practice:

Criminal Law

Bar Admissions:

Wisconsin, 1979
Minnesota, 1982-2016
U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin, 1978
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1978
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1987
U.S. Federal Courts, 1979
U.S. Supreme Court, 1994

Biography

Robert J. Dvorak graduated from St. John’s University in Collegeville Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts (honors program) in 1973 and from Marquette University Law School in 1978. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin (Member: Sections on, Criminal Law; Appellate Practice; Individual Rights), The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin. He is on the emeritus panel of Federal Defender Services for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He recently defended the first person charged with a capital indictment in the State of Wisconsin in over 150 years. His client avoided both death and a life sentence. In July 2015, President Obama granted his client’s clemency petition. You can also see Bob at work in episode 10 of Netflix’s Making a Murderer. He is a part of Brendan Dassey’s postconviction defense team.

Bob is admitted to practice in Wisconsin, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin , the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and the U.S. Supreme Court. Bob’s practice is concentrated primarily in criminal law in state and federal courts (both trial and appeals).

Past Employment Positions:

Dvorak & Fincke, S.C., 1987 – 1996
Private Practice, 1983 – 1987
Public Defenders Office, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Public Defender, 1978 – 1983

Education

Education:

Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1978
Juris Doctor
St John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1973
Bachelor of Arts
Honors: Member of Honors Program
Major: English
National Criminal Defense College, Macon, Georgia, 1979

Distinctions

Honors and Awards:

AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Listed in Best Criminal Defense Lawyers, Milwaukee Magazine, February 1995 to present
SuperLawyers, 2005 through 2016

Representative Cases:

State v. Cloud, 393 N.W.2d 123 (Wis.App. 1986)
State v. Hanson, 439 N.W.2d 133 (Wis. 1989)
State v. Mayhall, 535 N.W.2d 473 (Wis.App. 1995)
U.S. v. Goines, 988 F.2d 750 (C.A.7 (Wis.) 1993)
U.S. v. Espino, 32 F.3d 253 (C.A.7 (Wis.) 1994)
Johnny B. Griffin v. State of Wisconsin
U.S. v. Brisk, 171 F. 3d514 (7th Cir. 1999)
U.S. v. Conant, 116 F. Supp. 2d 1015 (E.D. WI 2000)
U.S. v. Hondras, 176 F. Supp. 2d 855 (E.D. WI 2001)
U.S. v. Hondras, 296 F. 3d 601 (7th Cir 2002)
Hubanks v. Frank, 392 F. 3d 926 (7th Cir. 2004)

Presentations and Publications

Classes/Seminars Taught:

Defending a Criminal Case in Federal Court, United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1991
Defending a Federal Drug Case, United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1992
Real Evidence for the Trial Practitioner in Wisconsin 2003 and 2007, Lorman
Forensic DNA for Lawyers, 2000 and 2001, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Appeal Waivers 2000, Federal Defender’s Service of E.D.WI
Criminal History under the U.S.S.G., Federal Defender’s Service of E.D.WI, 2001 – Present
Criminal Law Section – Ethics, State Bar of Wisconsin, 1997 – Present

Activities and Memberships

Professional Associations and Memberships:

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1978 – Present, Member
American Civil Liberties Union, 1978 – Present, Member
Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1987 – Present, Member
Amnesty International, 1991 – 1994, Freedom Writer
Milwaukee Bar Association, 1995 – Present
Chair, Section of Criminal Law
State Bar of Wisconsin, Criminal Law Section, Member
State Bar of Wisconsin, Appellate Practice Section, Member
State Bar of Wisconsin, Individual Rights Section, Member