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Trichter & LeGrand: Home to the First Attorney Ever Certified as a DWI Specialist in Texas

J. Gary Trichter was the first attorney in the history of Texas to earn the “DWI Specialist” designation from the National College for DUI Defense, a certification recognized by the American Bar Association — a documented historical first, not a marketing claim, for a firm that has practiced DWI defense in Houston since 1980.

At a Glance

Origin and Background

Gary Trichter has practiced DWI defense in Texas since 1980 and holds the distinction of being the first attorney in the state ever certified as a “DWI Specialist” by the National College for DUI Defense. He co-authored the textbook Texas Drunk Driving Law, has authored or co-authored 46 legal and aviation articles, and has spoken at more than 300 seminars training other lawyers, judges, and prosecutors on DWI law. Leslie LeGrand, a Houston native from a multi-generation legal family, was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2002 after beginning his legal involvement at age 15 representing a client in Harris County Teen Court, and spent several years as a Harris County Assistant District Attorney trying felony cases including murder, aggravated sexual assault, and intoxication manslaughter before joining the firm.

Practice Concentration

The firm handles the full range of intoxication offenses — DWI, DUI, BWI, and the less commonly covered FWI (flying while intoxicated), a niche Trichter is specifically recognized for — alongside broader felony and misdemeanor criminal defense. See this Houston DWI/DWI Defense directory for how this dual board-certified, four-decade practice compares to other Harris County defense firms. LeGrand’s prior prosecutorial experience specifically included a heavy DWI caseload as a misdemeanor prosecutor across multiple Harris County courts.

Track Record

The firm states it has secured thousands of case dismissals across its DWI and criminal defense practice. This is a firm-published, self-reported figure and has not been independently re-verified against court dockets by this profile; past results do not guarantee similar outcomes, and every case depends on its own specific facts.

Client Voice

Client reviews are largely positive, with reviewers describing the firm as professional and attentive to their specific case circumstances. Awesome Attorneys also identified one documented negative review describing dissatisfaction with the outcome of a Fort Worth DWI case involving a blood warrant; that reviewer’s account describes a negative personal experience distinct from the firm’s generally positive review pattern, and is disclosed here rather than omitted.

Beyond the Courtroom

Trichter’s authorship of a DWI-law textbook and his role training other attorneys, judges, and prosecutors at 300-plus seminars represent a documented contribution to the broader legal field’s understanding of DWI law, distinct from his individual case practice. His past leadership roles — founding the Texas DWI Lawyers Association and serving as president of the statewide Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association — reflect organizational leadership within the criminal defense bar.

Recognition

Trichter’s NCDD “DWI Specialist” certification and LeGrand’s Texas Board of Legal Specialization certification in Criminal Law are two distinct, independently administered credentials — the former a national DWI-specific designation, the latter the state’s general criminal law specialty certification. LeGrand’s ten-time Super Lawyers selection (2014–2023) and four Rising Star selections are peer-nomination-based distinctions, while his “10 Best in Client Satisfaction” recognition from the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys is a separate rating-platform placement.

Texas Legal Backdrop

A Texas DWI arrest triggers two separate proceedings: the criminal case, and a civil Administrative License Revocation (ALR) case against the driver’s license, with only 15 days from arrest to request the ALR hearing before an automatic suspension takes effect. BWI and FWI carry the same 0.08% legal intoxication threshold and comparable penalty structure as a standard DWI under the Texas Penal Code. None of this is legal advice; anyone facing an intoxication-offense charge should consult a licensed Texas attorney about the specific facts of their case.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Trichter & LeGrand’s clearest, most checkable differentiator is Gary Trichter’s status as the first-ever NCDD-certified DWI Specialist in Texas history, paired with Leslie LeGrand’s TBLS Criminal Law certification and Harris County prosecutorial background specifically in DWI-heavy misdemeanor courts. The honest trade-off: the firm’s case-dismissal figures are self-reported rather than independently re-verified by this profile, and Awesome Attorneys identified at least one documented negative client account alongside a broadly positive review pattern — a genuine mixed record rather than uniformly favorable. For a Harris County client facing a DWI, BWI, or the less common FWI charge, this firm’s specific dual specialization is a genuine, checkable basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Trichter & LeGrand’s official website (texasdwilaw.com), including attorney biography and credential pages, and independently identified third-party review data, including one negative account not sourced from the firm’s own site.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Trichter & LeGrand, P.C. prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.