Send a quick message
Castillo Law Phoenix is a boutique criminal defense practice built by one of Arizona’s independently verified Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialists.
A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. Castillo Law, PLLC did not pay for, request, or review this article prior to publication, and placement on Awesome Attorneys’ editorial pages cannot be purchased. Nothing in this article is legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future case.
At a Glance
| Firm | Castillo Law, PLLC |
| Attorney | Cindy Castillo |
| Founded | 2013, Phoenix |
| Certification | State Bar of Arizona Board-Certified Specialist in Criminal Law, since 2016 |
| Bar Number | 022382 (State Bar of Arizona) |
| Focus | Criminal defense (misdemeanor through felony, including first-degree murder and manslaughter), DUI & DWI, sex crimes, violent crime |
| Office | 2025 N. 3rd St., Ste. B150, Phoenix, AZ 85004 |
| Contact | (480) 206-5204 · castillolawphoenix.com |
Sources: State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization roster (azbar.org), castillolawphoenix.com, Avvo, Yelp, Justia. Compiled August 2026.
Origin
Castillo Law Phoenix: From Opposing High-Profile Firms to Her Own Practice
Before founding her own firm, Cindy Castillo practiced criminal defense at several high-profile Phoenix firms, building toward nearly two decades in the field. She launched Castillo Law in 2013 and, in 2016, was admitted as a Board-Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Arizona — a credential that requires at least seven years of practice with 50% or more devoted to criminal law, a minimum case volume, and a favorable peer review from attorneys and judges familiar with the applicant’s work. Castillo is listed directly on the State Bar’s own public roster of Criminal Law Certified Specialists.
Practice
A Broad Criminal Docket With a DUI Emphasis
Castillo Law’s docket spans misdemeanor and felony matters, including first-degree murder, manslaughter, and other complex “designated” felony cases, alongside a dedicated DUI & DWI practice. The firm’s own materials describe representation in juvenile court, misdemeanor and superior courts, federal court, forfeiture proceedings, administrative board hearings, MVD license hearings, and Rule 11 competency hearings. A recurring feature of the practice is representing licensed professionals — doctors, dentists, nurses, airline pilots, commercial truck drivers, and professional athletes — who face collateral licensing consequences on top of the criminal case itself. Castillo is fluent in English and Spanish.
Track Record
Castillo’s own materials state she has handled well over 1,000 criminal cases, more than 100 of which were tried to a jury. Awesome Attorneys did not identify an independent, itemized case-results table breaking that volume down by charge type or outcome, which is typical for criminal defense practices given confidentiality and court-record limitations on case outcomes.
Past-Results Disclaimer: Every case is different, and no past result guarantees a similar outcome in any future matter.
Client Voice
Castillo Law carries roughly 79 reviews on Avvo and 30 on Yelp. Reviewers describe her as knowledgeable of Arizona criminal procedure and effective in negotiating outcomes; several are from other attorneys who describe having litigated against her and still endorsing her advocacy. One reviewer specifically credited her bilingual capability as central to a positive experience navigating the court system.
Community
Awesome Attorneys did not identify independently verifiable pro bono service, civic board membership, or policy work beyond Castillo’s professional bar activity in the sources reviewed for this profile.
Recognition
Castillo holds Arizona’s Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist designation — a genuine, examination- and peer-review-based credential, confirmed directly on the State Bar of Arizona’s own public roster (specialist since 2016). Castillo Law is also AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the service’s highest peer-review rating tier. This profile uses the word “specialist” advisedly, on the strength of that documented, individually attributed certification. Awesome Attorneys did not identify a Best Lawyers or Super Lawyers selection for Castillo in the sources reviewed.
The Arizona Legal Backdrop
What follows is general legal information, not legal advice.
Arizona’s core DUI statute, A.R.S. § 28-1381, prohibits driving while impaired to the slightest degree or with a BAC of 0.08% or higher, with enhanced “Extreme” and “Super Extreme” DUI classifications under A.R.S. § 28-1382 at higher BAC levels. Felony sentencing ranges, including for the more serious charges Castillo’s practice covers, run through A.R.S. §§ 13-701 through 13-719. Juvenile matters proceed under a separate framework in Arizona’s juvenile court system, distinct from adult criminal procedure.
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Castillo Law Phoenix’s clearest differentiator is a genuine, independently verifiable board certification — not a marketing-program award, but a credential confirmed on the State Bar of Arizona’s own specialist roster — paired with a docket that ranges from routine DUI matters to first-degree murder, and a bilingual practice.
The honest trade-off: this is a boutique, single-attorney-led practice without the Best Lawyers or Super Lawyers selections that some other firms in this category can point to, so clients weighing third-party peer recognition beyond board certification and an AV rating should factor that in.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched in August 2026 from the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Legal Specialization public roster (azbar.org), castillolawphoenix.com, Avvo, Yelp, and Justia. Awesome Attorneys did not identify a competing “Cindy Castillo” practicing criminal law in Arizona that could create identity confusion. Castillo Law, PLLC did not commission, review, or pay for this profile.
Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice
This profile is an independent editorial article published by Awesome Attorneys. Awesome Attorneys does not endorse, recommend, or warrant any lawyer or law firm profiled on this site, and inclusion in this series is not paid placement.