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Steven L. Duckett, Jr., Esq

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Steve is an amazing attorney!! If I could give him 10 stars, I would. I trusted him completely and he came through! He helped me put behind a horrible situation I was in. I would strongly recommend him to anyone in need of a wonderful criminal attorney!

Steve Duckett, Esq.

Biography

Steve Duckett was born and raised in Northern Virginia. He left the area to pursue his education, graduating from the University of Richmond with a Political Science and Economics degree in 1994.  Since graduating from law school in 1997, he has practiced nothing but criminal law in the various District and Circuit Courts throughout Northern Virginia.

From Steve’s interview for the Masters series on ReelLawyers.com

I became a lawyer because of To Kill a Mockingbird. We read it my sophomore year in high school, then watched the movie, and I decided right then and there that I wanted to be Atticus Finch. Every decision I made from that moment forward led me to this point. I’ve been practicing criminal defense law for 27 years. All I have ever done is criminal defense—I’ve never been one of those lawyers who takes on a little bit of everything. It’s always been criminal defense, and it’s because of that movie.

Dealing with prosecutors is just like dealing with anybody—they’re people too. Many have similar backgrounds to mine. Even though we’re adversarial, I don’t treat them like the enemy—more like a colleague, where we’re just having a conversation about a case. The biggest thing is building a solid reputation with prosecutors. The most important aspect of that reputation is making sure they know you’re not afraid to take a case to trial.

Many lawyers, unfortunately, come in with their hands out, hoping to accept the best deal possible before they even start talking about the case. That’s a position of weakness because it tells the prosecutor you’re not looking to fight—you just want to get out of there quickly. But if they know you’re not afraid to sit there all day and try a case, that changes the dynamic considerably. They take you seriously as an adversary and understand that if they want a full conviction, they’ll have to work for it. If they want a deal, they’ll have to offer something worthwhile.

As an unwritten rule, unless there’s a compelling reason, I never have a client plead to the charge as written. They have to give me something in return, and it usually has to be significant. If there’s no benefit, I’ll make them earn it. I’ll sit there for two hours and try a DUI case. Sure, we might lose, but now the prosecutor has had to work extra hard. Over time, that adds up. If they know you’re going to be a challenge, that tends to get better results for your client.

Steve is widely known for his proactive, innovative trial techniques and excellent client relationships. Steve Duckett has successfully defended people from all walks of life, including CEO’s, professional athletes, White House and Congressional staff, and many others.  One source of pride for Mr. Duckett is the many clients he represents who come to him by way of referrals from previous clients. The high esteem in which he is held within the Virginia court system is reflected in the perfect 10/10 “Superb” rating he maintains from the attorney peer review site AVVO. Perhaps most notably, he was chosen as one of Northern Virginia Magazine’s top lawyers – resulting from a poll of fellow Northern Virginia attorneys.

Mr. Duckett believes that the key to a successful attorney-client relationship is communication. All calls and emails are answered within one day, when possible, and all clients will be regularly kept informed of any progress or developments in their case. In court, Mr. Duckett aggressively fights for his clients at all stages of the case, and takes great satisfaction when his clients walk away from the courthouse knowing their attorney did everything possible to ensure a favorable legal outcome.

In his free time, Steve coaches basketball at a local high school, enjoys attending live concerts and sporting events, and spending time with his wife and family.