Craig Sturm

Craig Sturm is a Super Lawyers–recognized criminal defense attorney with over 20 years of experience and a primary focus on DUI and drugged driving defense in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. He began his career in the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, where he defended individuals charged with criminal offenses. He later joined one of California’s largest DUI defense firms, ultimately serving as Trial Managing Attorney, before co‑founding his own boutique practice dedicated to high‑level DUI and criminal defense.For nearly two decades, Craig has focused on the intersection of trial work and forensic science. He holds a 10.0 “Superb” Avvo rating, has been designated a Super Lawyer, and is a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). He is also an active member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), the California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA), and the California Public Defenders Association (CPDA), and regularly completes advanced trainings that far exceed standard CLE requirements.Craig is trained on all major breath‑testing instruments and owner of several breathalizers used in DUI cases. He is a Certified Instructor in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He has completed advanced coursework in forensic blood analysis and gas chromatography, and has taught lawyers and experts as a speaker and instructor at state and national DUI defense conferences. His media appearances include CNN, Headline News, and Court TV, where he has been invited to explain DUI and criminal law issues to a broad public audience.In court, Craig is known for creative motion practice, strategic plea negotiations, and winning difficult trials—including a not‑guilty verdict in a DUI murder case. He has obtained dismissals, reductions, and favorable resolutions in thousands of DUI and criminal matters, from first‑offense misdemeanors to serious felonies. That combination of trial experience, scientific fluency, and teaching experience also informs his interest in adjunct teaching, where he brings a defense‑side perspective grounded in real‑world courtroom advocacy and rigorous, evidence‑based analysis of DUI and criminal law.