Law Office of Michael Bruckheim, LLC
NEW LOCATION!
Right Next to Rockville Metro Station:
One Church Street, Suite 910,
Rockville, MD 20850
(ph) 240-753-8222
(fax) 240-556-0300
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Satellite Office:
1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300,
Washington, DC 20006
(ph) 202-670-3371
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Biography
MICHAEL P. BRUCKHEIM
Mr. Bruckheim was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, and graduated from Walt Whitman High School in 1989. He attended Brandeis University where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in economics in 1993. He received his juris doctor from the American University Washington College of Law in 1996. While in law school, Mr. Bruckheim was a member of the Law Review and the Moot Court Executive Board. In his third year, Mr. Bruckheim participated in the Criminal Justice Clinic, and had the opportunity to represent clients in criminal matters in the Montgomery County District and Circuit Courts. Mr. Bruckheim also spent a semester prosecuting criminal matters as a Rule 16 student in the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County. By the time he graduated law school, Mr. Bruckheim already had conducted at least 10 criminal trials.
Prior to opening his law office in April, 2010, Mr. Bruckheim enjoyed a diverse career litigating in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) where he served for over 11 years. Mr. Bruckheim began his OAG career as a prosecutor in the Criminal Section where he conducted numerous bench and jury trials in traffic and criminal misdemeanor matters. Later in his OAG career, Mr. Bruckheim served as Chief of the Criminal Section where he supervised the prosecution of DWI offenses in the District, and directed a staff of over 20 attorneys. Mr. Bruckheim was responsible for formulating office policy for the prosecution of DWIs, as well as all traffic and criminal offenses under OAG’s jurisdiction. Mr. Bruckheim’s supervisory experience provides an important foundation for his clients who need assistance in navigating and understanding the many factors involved in a DWI prosecution in the District of Columbia.
Mr. Bruckheim has successfully completed a variety of intensive trainings that has him uniquely prepared to attack the prosecution of every type of DWI case. Mr. Bruckheim not only is trained to administer field sobriety tests according to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) standards, but he is also trained as a NHTSA field sobriety test Instructor. Many officers are certified to administer field sobriety tests, but way fewer are also certified as Instructors. Mr. Bruckheim has successfully completed as much…if not more…training in field sobriety tests than most police officers.
Mr. Bruckheim is the only licensed attorney in the District of Columbia to have completed an intensive training course in Forensic Chromatography, which is the process used to analyze blood and urine samples in DWI cases. The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department currently relies upon urine testing for its chemical evidence in DUI cases. Mr. Bruckheim therefore is uniquely trained to attack not just the methodology of urine testing, but also the chromatographic process used to obtain an alleged alcohol concentration. Mr. Bruckheim also has been trained in the use of and weaknesses of the Intoximeter EC/IR II, which is the breath testing machine used in Maryland and by the U.S. Park Police in the District of Columbia. Mr. Bruckheim’s commitment to training and acquiring more knowledge than the government prosecutors, coupled with his experience in the Criminal Section, allows him to provide valuable insight to his clients as to the thought processes behind DWI/DUI prosecutions. Mr. Bruckheim also knows how to find weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, as he has been specifically trained in every type of evidence that will be offered by the prosecution. Due to his training and experience, Mr. Bruckheim can help his clients achieve the best possible results.
Mr. Bruckheim also spent several years practicing in OAG’s Civil Division where he represented the District of Columbia in all phases of litigation in a variety of subjects, including employment discrimination, failure to accommodate disabilities, police misconduct, and personal injury. Mr. Bruckheim gained additional experience in the Personnel, Labor & Employment Division where he represented the District’s interests in all employment-related matters, including workers’ compensation, disciplinary actions, and discrimination complaints. With years of experience defending against civil actions, Mr. Bruckheim understands what it takes to bring a successful lawsuit for virtually every type of claim.
During his tenure at OAG, Mr. Bruckheim served as the Attorney/Advisor in the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights. Mr. Bruckheim reviewed hundreds of cases alleging disparate treatment, hostile work environment, retaliation, failure to accommodate disabilities, and violations of the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act. Mr. Bruckheim’s extensive experience in evaluating discrimination complaints is of great assistance to clients who seek advice in such matters.
Mr. Bruckheim is a trained mediator and arbitrator, and he has successfully mediated several employment discrimination claims. Mr. Bruckheim is an Adjunct Professor of Law in the Trial Advocacy Program at the American University Washington College of Law. Since 2008, Mr. Bruckheim has taught courses in Evidentiary Foundations and Objections, Evidence, and Pre-Trial Civil Litigation. Mr. Bruckheim served as an Adjunct Faculty Coach for the American University Mock Trial Honor Society where he coached teams of law students in trial advocacy competitions.
In November, 2011, Mr. Bruckheim became associated with the law firm of Jezic, Krum & Moyse, LLC as its DC Of Counsel. Mr. Bruckheim is admitted to the Bars of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and the United States District Courts for the District of Columbia and Maryland. He is a member of the National College of DUI Defense, the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, the District of Columbia Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.