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Future First Phoenix was founded by a lawyer who says he once sat where his clients now sit — on the wrong side of a criminal charge.
A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. Future First Criminal Law 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 | Future First Criminal Law |
| Founder | Zachary Divelbiss |
| Founded | 2017, Phoenix |
| Admitted | Arizona, 2017 |
| Education | B.S., Justice Studies, Arizona State University (Cum Laude); J.D., Arizona Summit Law School (2016, Cum Laude, top 10% of class, Law Review, Moot Court) |
| Focus | DUI defense (first-time, extreme, aggravated) and criminal defense, flat-fee pricing model |
| Office | 2999 N. 44th St., Ste. 307, Phoenix, AZ 85018 |
| Contact | (602) 932-7918 · futurefirst.law |
Sources: futurefirst.law, Avvo, Justia, Super Lawyers, LinkedIn, Yelp. Compiled August 2026.
Origin
Future First Phoenix: A Founder Who Has Sat on the Other Side of the Table
Zachary Divelbiss earned his B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University, Cum Laude, then his J.D. from Arizona Summit Law School in 2016, graduating early and Cum Laude in the top 10% of his class while serving on Law Review and Moot Court. He was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 2017 after training inside the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office and at several Phoenix firms. The firm’s own materials state that Divelbiss faced criminal charges himself before attending law school — a personal history the firm cites as the origin of its name and client approach; Awesome Attorneys was not able to independently verify the specifics of that history beyond the firm’s own account.
Practice
DUI-Heavy, Flat-Fee Criminal Defense
Future First’s docket centers on DUI defense across first-time, extreme, aggravated, and under-21 cases, alongside felony matters, drug possession, domestic violence, theft and shoplifting, criminal speeding and reckless driving, weapons charges, probation violations, and expungement/record-sealing work. The firm serves Phoenix and the broader Maricopa County area, including Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe. Its structural differentiator is a flat-fee billing model with trial included, rather than hourly billing.
Track Record
Future First was named the 12th Fastest Growing Law Firm in the U.S. for 2022-23 by Law Firm 500, a growth-based industry ranking rather than a case-results metric. Awesome Attorneys did not identify an independent, itemized case-results table for the firm.
Past-Results Disclaimer: Every case is different, and no past result guarantees a similar outcome in any future matter.
Client Voice
Avvo shows a 4.5-out-of-5.0 rating across 15 client reviews. Several reviewers describe clear communication and appreciation for the firm’s flat-fee structure and case-update videos. One 2020 review is more mixed: the reviewer described disappointment that a case represented as strong for trial was ultimately resolved differently than expected, while still describing Divelbiss as a skilled attorney and recommending him to others facing a defense matter — a genuine, if qualified, endorsement alongside the critique.
Community
Future First produces public-facing educational content — free webinars and short videos addressing DUI myths, arraignment procedure, and related topics. This is a client-education and marketing-adjacent form of outreach rather than pro bono service or civic board involvement, and is noted as such.
Recognition
Future First is listed on Super Lawyers’ own hosted directory as having an attorney selected to the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists, a peer-influenced, research-driven selection process distinct from pay-to-play marketing awards. Avvo lists the firm’s bar status as active with no misconduct found 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 “Extreme” and “Super Extreme” DUI enhancements under A.R.S. § 28-1382 at higher BAC levels. Arizona’s set-aside (expungement-equivalent) process, one of Future First’s named services, is governed by A.R.S. § 13-905, which allows eligible individuals to have certain convictions set aside after completing their sentence.
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Future First Phoenix’s clearest differentiator is a founder whose stated personal history with the justice system informs a flat-fee, high-communication model built around video case updates and transparent pricing — a genuinely different structure from hourly-billed defense practices.
The honest trade-off: this is a newer firm, founded in 2017, relative to some multi-decade competitors in this category, and the one identified mixed review flags a case where a client’s trial-readiness expectations weren’t fully met. Clients who prioritize a long, independently documented track record over founder narrative and pricing transparency may want to weigh that against Future First’s growth-stage profile.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched in August 2026 from futurefirst.law, Avvo, Justia, Super Lawyers’ hosted directory, LinkedIn, and Yelp. Awesome Attorneys did not identify a competing “Zachary Divelbiss” practicing criminal law elsewhere that could create identity confusion. Future First Criminal Law 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.