Broden & Mickelsen: Two Partners, Each Double Board Certified in Trial and Appellate Law

TO OUR READERS: This profile is independent editorial content produced by Awesome Attorneys. Broden, Mickelsen, Helms & Snipes LLP did not pay for, commission, sponsor, or review this article, and inclusion in this series cannot be purchased. Nothing here is legal advice, an endorsement, or a recommendation to hire any lawyer; readers should evaluate counsel independently and may verify any Texas attorney’s license and discipline history through the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com. Facts are drawn from the sources identified in the Methodology section and were verified as of August 2026.

AT A GLANCE

I. A Firm That Publishes Its Federal Trial Win Rate Against National Statistics

Rather than making a general claim of trial success, Broden & Mickelsen’s own materials cite specific comparative data: nationwide, the federal trial conviction rate was 93.1% in 2024, with Northern District of Texas conviction rates at 95.1%. Against that backdrop, the firm frames itself specifically as trial lawyers rather than plea lawyers, willing to take federal cases, statistically the hardest to win, to verdict rather than defaulting to negotiated pleas. That specific, sourced statistical framing, rather than a vague “we fight hard” claim, is disclosed here as a genuinely unusual level of transparency about the odds their model works against.

II. Both Founding Partners Hold the Same Rare Dual Certification

Both Clint Broden and Mick Mickelsen are independently board certified in both Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, meaning the firm’s dual-certification credential is not concentrated in a single name partner but shared across its founding leadership. Broden is additionally licensed to practice in Texas, California, and the District of Columbia, and has represented clients in federal courts nationwide.

III. Practice Areas

• DWI/DUI defense
• Federal criminal defense
• White collar crime
• Drug crimes and trafficking
• Violent crimes (including murder and capital offenses)
• Sex crimes and sexual assault defense
• Criminal appeals and post-conviction relief (including habeas corpus)

IV. Case Outcomes

The firm’s materials cite Not Guilty verdicts specifically in murder and sexual assault cases at the state trial level, alongside the federal statistical framing described above. This profile did not locate a comprehensive itemized list of every case outcome as of this research date; that gap is disclosed here rather than filled in.

V. The Client Voice

One client, describing a case involving their son, wrote “our son was accused of a crime he did not commit” and that “through the dedication and hard work of Mr. Mickelsen, our son was found Not Guilty,” adding that Mickelsen “will forever be in our hearts with tremendous gratitude.” Another client described the experience of being falsely accused as “one of the worst things to ever happen to me,” crediting Mickelsen with getting the charges dismissed and writing “I feel so vindicated.” No pattern of negative or unresolved reviews was located for this firm as of this research date.

VI. Community and Local Presence

The firm’s full name, Broden, Mickelsen, Helms & Snipes, reflects an “equal partnership between several of the most experienced criminal defense attorneys, retired judges, past federal prosecutors and Assistant Federal Public Defenders in Texas,” per the firm’s own materials, a structure that brings multiple institutional vantage points (judicial, prosecutorial, and public defense) into one Dallas firm.

VII. Credentials and Recognition

Clint Broden holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV rating, the service’s highest available, and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2004, more than two decades of consecutive annual recognition. He has been named to Best Lawyers in America every year since 2016, was named D Magazine’s “Best White Collar Attorney” in criminal defense in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017, and was named Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year in 2018 by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, an annual honor the association gives to only one or two lawyers statewide. These are third-party, peer-reviewed credentials distinguished here from marketing-program awards.

VIII. The Texas Legal Backdrop

In Texas, a first-offense DWI is generally a Class B misdemeanor, escalating with aggravating factors under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. Federal criminal cases, a substantial part of the firm’s documented practice, follow the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and Federal Sentencing Guidelines, an entirely separate body of law from Texas state criminal procedure. Habeas corpus and post-conviction relief, part of the firm’s documented appellate practice, follow distinct procedural rules and strict filing deadlines under both Texas and federal law. None of this is legal advice; consult a licensed Texas attorney about your specific situation.

IX. The Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Broden & Mickelsen’s structural strength is a genuinely rare, doubled credential: two founding partners, not one, each independently board certified in both criminal trial and criminal appellate law, backed by a specific, sourced statistical claim about federal trial difficulty rather than vague marketing language. For a Dallas client facing serious federal charges, white collar allegations, or a case likely headed to appeal, that combination of dual-certified trial and appellate expertise is a genuine, checkable asset few firms can match.

The honest limitation is one worth naming for any firm built around complex federal and appellate work: a prospective client with a routine, lower-stakes misdemeanor matter should confirm the firm’s fee structure and fit for a simpler case, since the firm’s documented strengths and reputation center on the most serious and complex end of criminal defense.

X. Methodology & Sources

This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys in August 2026 without the participation, sponsorship, or payment of Broden, Mickelsen, Helms & Snipes LLP. Primary source: the firm’s website brodenmickelsen.com (home, contact, board certification page). Verification sources: Martindale-Hubbell attorney profile (office address, peer ratings); U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas attorney directory (office address, contact information); Super Lawyers firm profile. Statutes cited in Section VIII were verified against the Texas Constitution and Statutes database (statutes.capitol.texas.gov).

Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal-directory publisher. This profile was not paid for by Broden, Mickelsen, Helms & Snipes, and inclusion in our editorial coverage cannot be purchased. Awesome Attorneys may separately offer premium sponsored placements to attorneys and firms; sponsorship status, where it exists, is always disclosed and does not alter the editorial content of a profile such as this one. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice or an attorney referral.