Robert Beck, Jr. is a veteran defense attorney with a reputation for achieving excellent results in difficult cases. The first phase of Robert’s legal career was divided between two metropolitan indigent defense agencies. Robert represented in excess of twenty-thousand clients accused of criminal or traffic offenses. In 2015, Robert entered the private practice of law.
A capable litigator, Robert has conducted in excess of ninety jury trials and countless Bench trials and evidentiary hearings. Robert’s skill has been recognized by his peers, naming him to Ohio Super Lawyers. Further, Robert is a frequent speaker and instructor at continuing education seminars. For five years, Robert designed and managed the new lawyer training program for criminal defense practitioners, which is part of the required training for all new lawyers in the State of Ohio.
Robert has successfully represented thousands of clients accused of OVI/DUI offenses. To improve his skills in OVI/DUI defense, Robert attended National Highway Traffic Safety Administration training and received certification to administer field sobriety testing. The same training law enforcement is required to complete. Robert’s skill in OVI/DUI defense has been recognized by his peers and is frequently invited to speak at OVI/DUI seminars instructing other lawyers.
In addition to his skills as a litigator, Robert is aware of the prevalence of both mental health and substance abuse issues in our society. Robert’s skill in this area was recognized by the Franklin County Mental Health Court who named him Attorney of the Year in 2010. Robert frequently collaborates with mental health and addiction professionals to obtain outstanding results for his clients.
Education
- University of Akron, 1998
Juris Doctor - Ohio University, 1995
Bachelor of Science in Communication, cum laude
Published Cases
- Akron v. Little, 703 N.E.2d 879, 94 Ohio Misc.2d 108 (Ohio Mun. 1998).
- City of Columbus v. Nolan, 903 N.E.2d 719, 150 Ohio Misc.2d 44, 2009-Ohio-1083 (Ohio Mun. 2009).
- City of Columbus v. Lopez-Antonio, 914 N.E.2d 464, 153 Ohio Misc.2d 4, 2009-Ohio-4892 (Ohio Mun. 2009).
Presentations
- Ethical Dilemmas in Mental Health Court; Franklin County Mental Health Court Seminar 2005
- Effective Cross Examination; Ohio Public Defender’s Training, 2009
- The Art of Effective Cross Examination; The David H. Bodiker Memorial Seminar, 2009
- Expert Witnesses; Balancing the Wheels of Justice, 2009
- Judges are Lawyers, too; Mental Health Court Seminar, 2010
- Ethical implications of Electronic & Social Media; 2nd Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2011
- Judges are Lawyers, too; Hot Topics in Criminal Law (OACDL), 2011
- Everyday Experts; New Lawyer Training (OACDL), 2012
- Introduction to Ohio OVI Law; Ohio Supreme Court Interpreter Training, 2012
- Interpreting OVI Cases; Ohio Supreme Court Interpreter Training, 2012
- DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing; Ohio Supreme Court Interpreter Training, 2012
- Ethical Dilemmas in Specialty Courts; 3rd Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2012
- Fundamentals of Arraignments; 3rd Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2012
- Introduction to Standardized Field Sobriety Testing; Franklin County Public Defender’s New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2013
- Judges are Lawyers, too 1.5; 4th Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2013
- OVI Discovery; The Premier Ohio DUI Defense Seminar (OACDL), 2014
- Authentication versus Admissibility; Franklin County Public Defender’s New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2014
- Cross Examination Instructor; The Premier Ohio DUI Defense Seminar (OACDL), 2015
- Introduction to Chemical Breath Testing; Franklin County Public Defender’s New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2015
- Breath Testing Simplified and On the Cheap; Columbus Bar Association OVI Seminar, 2015
- The Everyday Expert; Ohio State Bar Association OVI Update, 2015
- Cross Examination Instructor; The Premier Ohio DUI Defense Seminar (OACDL), 2016
- Trial on a Budget; The Premier Ohio DUI Defense Seminar (OACDL), 2017
- Three Phases of OVI Detection; OACDL DUI Seminar: Defending Your Client the Right Way, 2017
- A Practical Approach to Field Sobriety Testing; OVI 2017 (Columbus Bar Association), 2017
- Sentencing Law Update; Hot Topics in Criminal Law (OACDL), 2017
- Field Sobriety Testing Fundamentals; OVI Representation (COAJL), 2018
- The Story of a Case Named Brady; Hot Topics in Criminal Law (OACDL), 2018
- Judges are Lawyers, too 2.5; Union County Bar Association Professionalism Seminar, 2019
Seminars Designed
- Mental Health Court Seminar, 2010
- 2nd Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2011
- Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys’ New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2012
- Ohio Supreme Court Interpreter OVI Training, 2012
- 3rd Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2012
- Franklin County Public Defender’s New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2013
- 4th Annual Mental Health Court Seminar, 2013
- Franklin County Public Defender’s New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2014
- Franklin County Public Defender’s New Lawyer Training Seminar, 2015
Awards & Honors
- Rising Star – Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine, 2009
- Attorney of the Year – Franklin County Mental Health Court, 2010
Professional Organizations
- Member of the OACDL Ethics Committee
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Madison County Bar Association
Firearms Training
- Utah Concealed Firearms Course October 2010
- Pistol Basics with Dave Spaulding July 2013
- NRA Basic Metallic Cartridge Reloading Course March 2014
- NRA Range Safety Officer Course June 2014
- Intro to Tactical Rifle June 2014
- NRA Basic Pistol Course June 2014
- IDPA Safety Officer Course August 2014
- Low-Light Self-Defense Fundamentals November 2014
- NRA Certified Pistol Instructor Course January 2015
- Defensive Revolver June 2015
- Hornady Reloading Clinic October 2015
- Essential Pistol with Dave Spaulding June 2016
- Defensive Handgun Level 1 March 2018
- Defensive Handgun Level 2 March 2018
