Marc J. Victor: The Chandler Firm That Only Defends Self-Defense Cases

Inside Attorneys For Freedom, the Chandler firm founded in 1997 by a gun-rights activist and podcast host who has argued before the Ninth Circuit and now runs what his firm calls the only law practice in the country built exclusively around defending self-defense cases.

Marc J. Victor — At a Glance

Origin: From Marc J. Victor, P.C. to a Self-Defense Practice

Marc Victor earned his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law and was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 1994. He founded his own practice in Chandler in 1997, originally under his own name; the firm was later renamed Attorneys For Freedom and grew to employ multiple attorneys and paralegals across offices in Chandler and Honolulu. Victor has personally represented clients in more than a thousand major felony matters over his career, including first- and second-degree murder, sex offenses, major drug cases, complex white-collar matters, and gun-related self-defense cases, and has successfully argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Practice Areas

While the firm has historically handled criminal defense, personal injury, and civil rights matters, its current public-facing focus is specifically self-defense-related criminal cases — the firm describes itself as the only law firm in the nation exclusively committed to that niche. Victor is a long-time advocate on gun rights and drug policy issues, regularly invited to speak at events including the Crossroads of the West gun shows, and has publicly debated a former Maricopa County Attorney on drug policy.

Track Record

Victor’s own materials cite representation in more than a thousand major felony matters, including a successful Ninth Circuit appeal, without publishing a specific verdict or settlement tally the way a civil case table would show. Federal appellate wins like the Ninth Circuit argument are a matter of public record, though Awesome Attorneys was not able to independently identify the specific case for citation here.

Past-Results Disclaimer: Every case is different, and no past result guarantees a similar outcome in any future matter.

Client Voice

Victor holds 60 reviews on Avvo with a 4.8 rating. One recent reviewer, discussing a gun law matter, described feeling well-represented even in a case they didn’t consider a perfect fact pattern, encouraging others in a similar position to seek coverage regardless of case strength.

Community

Victor co-hosts “The Peace Radicals” podcast with firm partner Andrew Marcantel, publishing weekly episodes on criminal justice, gun rights, and related policy topics. He has been quoted as a legal commentator by local, national, and international media on high-profile criminal cases, and has spoken publicly on what he describes as the “Live and Let Live Principle.”

Recognition

Victor holds Arizona’s Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist designation from the Board of Legal Specialization — a genuine, examination-based credential, verifiable by Arizona bar license number. His decades of admission in both Arizona and Hawai’i, and his Ninth Circuit appellate argument, are independently checkable credentials distinct from his media and advocacy profile.

The Arizona Legal Backdrop

What follows is general legal information, not legal advice.

Arizona’s self-defense (justification) statutes are codified at A.R.S. § 13-404 et seq., and place the burden on the prosecution to disprove a justification claim once the defendant produces some evidence supporting it — a framework directly relevant to Victor’s current practice focus. More broadly, Arizona’s controlled-substance offenses are classified under A.R.S. § 13-3401 et seq., and felony sentencing ranges run through A.R.S. §§ 13-701 through 13-719. Since January 2023, certain records can be sealed under A.R.S. § 13-911.

The Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Victor’s genuine strength is depth in a distinctive niche — self-defense criminal cases specifically — backed by a genuine Board Certification, decades of major-felony trial and appellate experience, and a Ninth Circuit appellate win. His public advocacy profile also means clients get an attorney whose views on the underlying legal and policy issues are unusually well-documented before they ever walk in the door.

The honest caveat: the firm’s current branding is narrowly built around self-defense cases specifically — clients with a criminal matter outside that niche should confirm the firm’s current capacity and focus for their specific type of case before assuming the same level of specialization applies.

Methodology & Sourcing

This profile was researched in August 2026 from attorneysforfreedom.com (firm site), the Distinguished Counsel directory, LinkedIn, Avvo, and Gun Freedom Radio’s guest biography page. Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm 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.

Related: more Arizona criminal defense attorney profiles · more attorney profiles serving Chandler.