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Douglas Chanco, Joshua Schiffer, Charlotte Merritt, & Emily Rowell (Host)
Joshua G. Schiffer
Joshua G. Schiffer was raised in the wilds of East Cobb County by Dr. Daniel and Prof. Gail Schiffer. He attended Rocky Mountain Elementary, Mabry and Simpson Middle Schools, and graduated from The Walker School in 1994. He graduated from Clark University in Worcester, MA where he majored in Government/International Relations with a minor in International Development. Mr. Schiffer studied Economics in Luxembourg and traveled extensively. After working as a truck driver and warehouse worker during and after college, Mr. Schiffer continued his education and obtained his Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law in 2002. While in law school, Mr. Schiffer was active in Mock Trial, Student Trial Lawyers Association and a variety of social/professional groups.
Mr. Schiffer began his career as a clerk in the Superior Court of Cobb County, transitioned into real estate and eventually gravitated towards trial work as a senior trial attorney for the Metro Conflict Defender and Georgia Public Defender Standards Counsel. During this period, Mr. Schiffer trained numerous attorneys in complex trial techniques and was the senior trial attorney for several judges. He has supervised the All Purpose/Fast Track Courts, Magistrate Courts and General Trial Courts.
In 2007, Mr. Schiffer was invited to the exclusive Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in Duboise, WY where he spent the summer working with a class of 50 Plaintiffs and Criminal Defense Lawyers on Advanced Trial Techniques including Sociometry, Psychodrama, Experiential Therapy and Group Dynamics with an internationally acclaimed faculty including Gerry Spence, Joane Garcia-Colston, Fredilyn Sison, Rafe Foreman, Joshua Karton, Betsy Greene, and Maren Chaloupka. Mr. Schiffer continues to attend college events on a regular basis and relies extensively on the network of graduates to ensure his clients achieve the greatest results in their cases.
Mr. Schiffer formed The Schiffer Firm, LLC upon his return from the college. The Schiffer Firm, LLC continues to represent the victims and accused in cases involving Domestic Violence, both in Civil and Criminal arenas. Mr. Schiffer is regarded as one of Georgia’s leading authorities on Domestic Violence issues and dedicates much of his pro bono efforts to this area.
In 2011 Mr. Schiffer and Mr. Chanco formed ChancoSchiffer P.C. as a new paradigm in Legal Services.
Mr. Schiffer is married to a successful financial executive and lives in Buckhead with his daughter and Chihuahuas. A supporter of various social and political organizations, he enjoys fishing, gardening, theater, target shooting and politics.
Douglas Chanco
Douglas Chanco is admitted to the practice of law in both Georgia and New York. He has also been admitted to practice before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the United States District Court. He founded The Law Offices of Douglas B. Chanco, LLC in 2010 and was an incorporator of ChancoSchiffer, P.C. in 2011. Prior to this, Mr. Chanco worked at a law firm were he rose to become the senior associate attorney specializing in litigation work including: criminal defense, DUI defense, civil litigation, personal injury, and divorce matters. Attorney Chanco began his legal career by serving as an assistant solicitor general for the Fulton County State Court in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. In this position, Attorney Chanco tried and successfully prosecuted numerous criminal cases including DUI.
During law school, Attorney Chanco worked as a certified legal intern for The Office of the Public Defender for the city of Jacksonville, Florida, where he participated in the defense of indigent individuals charged with major felonies and drug crimes.
Attorney Chanco is certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as an instructor for standardized field sobriety testing. This training, which is identical to the education police officers receive, allows him to identify improperly administered field sobriety tests in your Georgia DUI case. Furthermore, Attorney Chanco has training as a drug recognition expert. He is one of only a few attorneys in the area that knows how to defend cases dealing with prescription drugs and illegal drugs, including marijuana.
Attorney Chanco is the author of the text, “Defense of Your Georgia DUI Case: What to Know, What to Do.”
Attorney Chanco graduated from The Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, with a Bachelors of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice in merely two and a half years time. He received his Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law, in Jacksonville, Florida, and was selected as a Dean’s Scholar twice.
Attorney Chanco has been an active member of his community both as a mock trial team coach for the Georgia Bar Association’s High School Mock Trial program and also achieving the rank of Eagle Scout while a member of the Boy Scouts of America.
Attorney Chanco and his wife hail from Central Florida and proudly call North Georgia home. In his spare time, Attorney Chanco is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys the many art, cultural, and recreational opportunities available in North Georgia.
Areas of Practice:
- Criminal Law
- DUI/DWI
- Civil Litigation
Litigation Percentage:
90% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions:
- Georgia, 2006
- New York, 2012
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
Education:
Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville, Florida
J.D.
Honors: Dean’s Scholar
The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
B.S.
Major: Criminology and Criminal Justice
Professional Associations and Memberships:
National College of DUI Defense Attorneys
Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Association for Justice
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Forsyth County Criminal Defense Bar- Past President
Publications:
Defense of Your Georgia DUI Case: What to Know, What to Do.
