Jay Leiderman

When searching for the right attorney, it is often the worst time in your life. Finding a good one, and the right one for you, is a daunting task. Leiderman Devine LLP believes that they are the right firm for you for many, many reasons.

Many defense attorneys advertise that they once worked for the prosecutor or District Attorney. Jay Leiderman is proud to say he has never, ever, worked to incarcerate individuals accused of crimes, nor would he. Why would you hire someone who at one time worked hard to jail someone for the very crime for which you or your loved one is now being accused? Because that person professes to be an “insider?” He or she can get you a special deal because they know someone in the DA’s office? I’ve heard that said, and it simply isn’t true. Does that make sense—that years after they left the prosecutor’s office and their old cronies have moved on as well they still are an “insider?” Is that person one who believes in justice, or in making money no matter how they do it or whose desperation they exploit? Do they truly care about your rights? Did they care about them when they used to tell the judge to lock someone just like you up—to toss ‘em in jail? Hire someone that knows defense work inside and out, and believes in you, you’re rights, and your innocence. Hire someone with a record of fighting for those just like you—not against you! Moreover, hire someone you know is a Board Approved Criminal Law Specialist.

Jason Scott ("Jay") Leiderman is a California State Bar Certified Criminal Law Specialist. In addition to the California State Bar Exam and mandatory continuing legal education, to obtain his specialization Jay had to pass another specialization test, a rigorous peer and judge review screening process, have many additional hours of classroom continuing legal education, and have substantial practical experience. There are over 200,000 attorneys licensed to practice in California. According to the California State Bar, on June 16, 2008, there were exactly 355 Certified Criminal Law Specialists—a small and elite group.

In Ventura County Jay is currently one of only two criminal law specialists available for you to hire. Jay has dedicated his entire professional career to standing up for the rights of the accused. Jay believes in his role as an advocate for the accused. He has always been a champion of personal rights and a staunch defender of our constitutional freedoms. In short, Jay's entire professional life has been dedicated to ensuring that those accused of crimes receive the most vigorous, competent and artful defense. Now that Jay is a partner in Leiderman Devine LLP, he has dedicated himself to providing that hard hitting defense while still remaining open and accessible to his clients.

Jay was born and raised in and around New York City. He attained his Bachelor of Arts in both History and Film/Video Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1993. That is where he developed his ease in the courtroom and love of the constitution. He loved films of the law and tales of justice, and read the words of the constitutional framers and Supreme Court Judges avidly and with ultimate respect.

He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco in 1999. During law school, Jay twice participated in the criminal defense law clinic, where he gained experience handling cases from arraignment to dismissal or sentencing. He began to develop more practical California state knowledge when he interned for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. Likewise, he sharpened his legal skills and developed a background in Federal criminal law when he interned for The Federal Defenders of San Diego.

Jay was also President of the USF Law School Student Body in 1998-1999, and was a tutor in Criminal Law and Procedure, and won an award for best oral argument in his mock trial class. Jay's interest has always been in criminal defense and he has focused his career accordingly.

After law school, Jay joined the Office of the Public Defender in Ventura, California. He worked there for almost six and one-half years before venturing into private practice—where he initially began to take cases around the country on a pro hac vice basis. He has worked or consulted on cases in Alaska, Florida, North Carolina, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, to name a few. He has also worked on cases in counties all around California.

As a Deputy Public Defender and now as a partner in Leiderman Devine LLP, Jay has defended virtually every type of case and client, from those facing a charge of murder to those faced with driving on a suspended license or DUI. At the Public Defender's office the bulk of Jay's time was spent in the felony unit, where he handled the most serious felonies, specializing in three strikes, gang crimes, drug offenses, cases involving violence and cases with complex legal issues and motions to suppress evidence.

Jay has also handled cases involving rape and unlawful sexual intercourse, child molestation, possession of child pornography, possession of bombs, theft and embezzlement of all varieties, robbery, burglary, counterfeit currency, violations of gang injunctions and restraining orders, hit and run involving serious bodily injury and property damage.

Jay has handled a number of high profile cases in Ventura and throughout California. He has been on television, the radio and he is in the newspaper regularly (See Press Section here).

Jay is well-known in the legal and business community for a hard charging, even handed and dedicated approach to each new case backed up by the willingness and ability to fight for the best results for his clients. Those that know Jay's work describe him as a "true believer," willing to go to the mat for his clients.

Jay also served on the board of the Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar Association Board of Directors, and was President of the Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar Board of Directors in 2004-2005 and again in 2007-2008—indeed, his term just ended a few months ago! Jay has also lectured statewide on Prosecutorial and Judicial Error for the California Public Defender's Association, as well as for the Ventura Criminal Defense Bar. In his capacity as a board member of the defense bar, he also meets regularly with judges, district attorneys, probation officers and local treatment providers.

Jay has fought the City of Ventura on its policies related to the prosecution of transient individuals and is currently a political appointee on the mobile home rent advisory review board. In 2004 he was successful in getting two laws declared unconstitutional—a rare and amazing feat leading to the dismissal of hundreds of cases!