About Robert Udashen
Robert Udashen is a renowned criminal defense attorney with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, he was honored with the Perry Jones Award as the top criminal law student of his class.
Robert’s legal journey began representing incarcerated individuals at the Texas Department of Corrections, where he honed his skills in complex post-conviction proceedings. Subsequently, he joined the prominent law firm of Crowder & Mattox, alongside future Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox. It was not long before Robert became a partner in the firm and the firm name was changed to Crowder, Mattox and Udashen. Later, Robert struck out on his own, eventually becoming name partner in the boutique criminal defense firm of Udashen Anton.
Robert’s legal acumen is legendary. As a trial lawyer, he successfully defended many citizens accused of criminal offenses including Candy Montgomery in the infamous axe-murder case, a trial that captivated the nation and was dramatized in a bestselling book, Emmy-winning film, and recent miniseries on HBO and Hulu. He also secured a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict for Lisa Diaz in a high-profile capital murder case.
As an appellate and post-conviction attorney Robert has overturned many criminal convictions and secured the exonerations of six wrongly convicted individuals.
Robert’s dedication to justice extends to academia, where he served as an adjunct professor at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law for two decades, sharing his expertise in criminal law, criminal procedure and trial advocacy. And, Robert often speaks at continuing legal education courses throughout Texas.
A respected leader in the legal community, Robert is a past president of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. His exceptional legal abilities have earned him consistent recognition, including selection as a Texas Super Lawyer, Best Lawyer in America, and one of Dallas’s top attorneys by D Magazine. He has been honored with the prestigious titles of White Collar Lawyer of the Year and Dallas/Fort Worth Criminal Defense General Practice Lawyer of the Year.
- Lecturer, “False Confessions”, Innocence Seminar, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Austin, Texas, August 4, 2016
- Lecturer, “Jury Selection Case Law Update” , Jury Selection and Communicating with Jurors Seminar, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, April 8, 2016
- Lecturer, “Managing Expert Witnesses”, Criminal Defense Trial Skills and Trial law Course, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, August 5, 2015
- Lecturer, “The Catchall: Actual Innocence Writs”, Advanced Criminal Law Course, State Bar of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, July 30, 2015
- Lecturer, “Managing Expert Witnesses”, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, August 12, 2014
- Lecturer, “False Confessions”, Innocence Seminar, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Austin, Texas, August 8, 2014
- Lecturer, “Jury Selection Case Law Update,” Jury Selection and Communicating with Jurors Seminar, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, April 4, 2014
- Lecturer, “Applications for Writs of Habeas Corpus,” Habeas Issues, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, August 16, 2013
- Lecturer, “Managing Expert Witnesses”, Criminal Defense Trial Skills and Trial Law Course, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, August 8, 2013
- Lecturer, “Jury Selection Case Law Update”, Jury Selection and Communicating with Jurors Seminar, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, April 5, 2013
- Lecturer, “False Confessions”, Innocence Clinic, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Dallas, Texas, October 11, 2012
- Lecturer, “Jury Selection Case Law Update”, Jury Selection and Communicating with Jurors Seminar, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, April 27, 2012
- Lecturer, “Anatomy of a Texas False Confession Case”, Innocence Work in the Real World for Real Lawyers, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Austin, Texas, August 12, 2011
- Lecturer, “United States Supreme Court Recent Opinions,”, Texas College for Judicial Studies, Texas Center for the Judiciary, Austin Texas, April 15, 2011
- Lecturer, “Jury Selection Case Law Update”, Jury Selection and Communicating with Jurors Seminar, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, August 27, 2010
- Lecturer, “Expert Witnesses”, Criminal Defense Trial Skills and Trial law Course, Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, August 11, 2010
- Lecturer, “Eyewitness Identification Testimony”, Current Issues in Criminal Law Seminar, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas, Texas, December 14, 2009
- Lecturer, “This Crazy Life, A Case Study of the Insanity Defense”, Jolly Roger Hal Jackson Memorial Criminal Law Seminar, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Denton, Texas, December 11, 2009
- Lecturer, “Motions to Suppress Evidence in DWI Cases”, Texas Bar Association, Advanced Criminal Law Course, Dallas, Texas, July 21, 2009
- Lecturer, “Parallel Paths of Domestic Violence: A Practitioner’s Roadmap for Criminal and Family Law Professionals”, Domestic Violence Training Committee, Dallas, Texas, April 24, 2009
- Lecturer, “Where Family Law and Criminal Law Collide”, University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, January 29, 2009
- Lecturer, “The Perils of Eyewitness Identification”, Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, McKinney, Texas, January 8, 2009
- “Murder by the Book”, CourtTV, Fall Season, 2008
- Lecturer, “Motions to Suppress”, University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Criminal Law Short Course, Houston, Texas, September 19, 2008
- Lecturer, “Motions to Suppress”, University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Criminal Law Short Course, Dallas, Texas, September 12, 2008
- Lecturer, “Motions to Suppress”, University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Criminal Law Short Course, Dallas, Texas, September 28, 2007
- Lecturer, “Motions to Suppress”, University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Criminal Law Short Course, Houston, Texas, September 12, 2007
- “A Primer on Ineffective Assistance of Counsel”, Voice for the Defense, April, 2003
- “Private Attorney or Public Prosecutor: When Private Attorneys Take Over the Prosecution of a Criminal Case”, Voice for the Defense (Co-Author), 2002
- “The Involuntary Not Guilty Plea”, Voice for the Defense, January, 2000
- “Crimes of Construction”, Voice for the Defense, July/August , 1998
- “Ex Parte Amendments of Charging Instruments”, Voice for the Defense, September, 1997
- “Collateral Estoppel and Administrative License Suspension Hearings”, Voice for the Defense, March, 1996
- “The Spending of Dirty Money”, Voice for the Defense, December, 1995
- “Update on the Admissibility of Polygraph Results”, Voice for the Defense, September, 1995
- “The Admissibility of Polygraph Test Results”, Voice for the Defense, June, 1995
- “Criminal Procedure: Pretrial, Trial and Appeal” (Co-Author), SMU Law Review, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1995
- “Criminal Procedure: Pretrial, Trial and Appeal” (Co-Author), SMU Law Review, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1994
- “Rule 35(b) Motions More Than One Year After Sentencing”, Voice for the Defense, October, 1994
- “Downward Departure for Extraordinary Family Circumstances”, Voice for the Defense, June, 1994
- “Criminal Procedure: Confession, Search and Seizure” (Co-Author), SMU Law Review, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1993
- “Double Jeopardy, Single Punishment”, Voice for the Defense, Spring, 1993
- “Criminal Procedure: Pretrial”, Southwestern Law Journal, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1991
- You’re Under Arrest, OPEN, INC., Dallas, 1990
- “Criminal Procedure: Pretrial”, Southwestern Law Journal, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1989
- “Criminal Procedure: Pretrial”, Southwestern Law Journal, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1988
- “Criminal Procedure: Pretrial”, Southwestern Law Journal, Annual Survey of Texas Law, 1987
- “A Primer on Texas Parole”, Voice for the Defense, November, 1978
- “Jail Time: An Important Consideration at Sentencing and Plea Negotiation”, Voice for the Defense, August, 1978
- Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2003–2020
- Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, Criminal Defense, 2009, 2011–2020
- Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, 2005–2020
- Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Dallas Criminal Defense White Collar Lawyer of the Year, 2014
- “Go to Guide”, Texas Lawyer, Top Five Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2007
- State Bar of Texas, Member Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure Committee, 1990–1993
- Dallas Bar Association, Member
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member
- Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, President, 2007
- Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, Member
- Advisory Board, Coalition for Safer Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 1994
- Member, Board of Directors, OPEN, Inc., Dallas, Texas
- Sorrels & Udashen, Dallas, Texas, Partner, 2002–2006
- Milner, Goranson, Sorrels, Udashen & Wells, Dallas, Texas, Partner, 2000–2002
- Milner, Lobel, Goranson, Sorrels, Udashen & Wells, Dallas, Texas, Partner, 1995–2000
- Law Office of Robert N. Udashen, Dallas, Texas, 1987–1995
- Udashen & Goldstucker, Dallas, Texas, Partner, 1986–1987
- Crowder & Mattox, Dallas, Texas, Associate, 1979–1984
- Crowder, Mattox & Udashen, Dallas, Texas, Partner, 1984–1986
- Texas Department of Corrections, Staff Counsel for Inmates, Huntsville, Texas, Staff Attorney, 1977–1979
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Phi Delta Phi
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern, Arkansas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern, Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern, Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western, Arkansas
- U.S. District Court, Western, Texas
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Texas
- University of Texas School of Law (JD, 1977)
- University of Texas at Austin (BA, 1974)