James Fletcher is an Austin criminal defense attorney, Senior Trial Attorney at Michael & Associates, and one of only a handful of Texas lawyers to earn the designation of Lawyer-Scientist through the American Chemical Society. His practice focuses on DWI defense, drug crimes, assault charges, domestic violence allegations, theft offenses, weapons charges, and other misdemeanor and felony criminal matters. He represents individuals accused of crimes throughout Travis County and Central Texas.
Mr. Fletcher earned the Lawyer-Scientist designation after completing advanced forensic-science training at the renowned Axion forensic laboratory in Chicago. His scientific training has made him particularly effective in defending DWI cases, and he has become a trusted Austin DWI attorney for individuals facing intoxication-related charges. His experience adds valuable insight into the forensic evidence commonly used in DWI prosecutions, including blood-test analysis, toxicology, and other forms of scientific evidence. He regularly applies this knowledge when challenging the reliability, interpretation, and admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal cases. He also leads Michael & Associates’ Austin criminal defense office.
Mr. Fletcher began his legal career defending individuals accused of criminal offenses at a prominent Houston law firm. In 2017, he relocated to Austin and has since focused his practice on representing clients facing criminal charges in Travis County and the surrounding Central Texas communities.
During his tenure at Michael & Associates, Mr. Fletcher has handled nearly 500 criminal cases, representing clients charged with offenses ranging from DWI and drug crimes to assault allegations, theft offenses, weapons charges, probation violations, and serious felony offenses. More than 150 of those matters have involved DWI allegations, giving him significant experience with the scientific and evidentiary issues unique to intoxication-related prosecutions. Combined with his American Chemical Society Lawyer-Scientist designation, this extensive criminal defense experience has provided him with substantial familiarity with the forensic, legal, and strategic issues that frequently arise in criminal cases.
About Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys
Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys is a criminal defense firm with a unique model: the high-touch, personalized attention of a boutique firm, backed by the resources and collective experience of a 40+ lawyer defense team.
Every client is assigned a dedicated Senior Trial Attorney who owns the defense from intake through resolution. That attorney focuses on a specific county and court — practicing there regularly and knowing the judges, the prosecutors, and the local tendencies that shape outcomes. Cases are not rotated, reassigned, or passed to junior attorneys (the firm doesn't employ any).
Behind that lead attorney is a team of forty criminal-defense lawyers with more than 1,000 jury trials between them, including attorneys Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, ten Super Lawyers honorees, ACS-CHAL Forensic DWI Lawyer-Scientists, former prosecutors, former judges, and former law-enforcement professionals, including a former FBI agent.
That structure gives clients the 40-on-1 advantage: one senior lawyer leading your case, backed by the collective knowledge of 40+ criminal-defense attorneys. It means the prosecutor is not up against one lawyer — they're up against a brain trust.
The firm's main metric is client satisfaction, which is measured using standard CSAT surveys to every client at the conclusion of the case. The firm has achieved a 98.5% client satisfaction rate based on 1,840 survey responses. The full breakdown by case type is below:
- DWI: 97.8% CSAT (781 responses)
- Assault & Domestic Violence: 99.5% CSAT (368 responses)
- Other: 98.7% CSAT (158 responses)
- Drug Charges: 98.6% CSAT (142 responses)
- Motion to Revoke Probation: 97.8% CSAT (134 responses)
- Theft & Fraud: 100% CSAT (106 responses)
- Driving Offenses: 98.7% CSAT (75 responses)
- Weapons: 98.1% CSAT (52 responses)
- Sex Offenses: 100% CSAT (24 responses)
Data from September 2022 through May 6, 2026.
The firm's 2025 trial record was 65% favorable outcomes with a 50% outright acquittal rate. A 5.0 rating on Google. More than 1,400 five-star reviews on Google, Avvo, BBB, and Martindale, an A+ BBB rating, and combined criminal-defense experience exceeding 540 years. Attorney caseloads run well below ABA recommendations. Case reviews are free. No trial fees - ever.
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