Learn about Ed Ungvarsky -Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC

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Ed handles all kinds of criminal cases and complex civil litigation in state courts in Virginia and Washington, D.C. and federal courts nationwide, particularly the Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland federal district courts. Ed has successfully handled every type of criminal case in every type of circumstance, from simple misdemeanors to capital murder. He has practiced as a criminal defense attorney, primarily in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia, full-time since graduating from Yale Law School. Ed puts together a team of investigators, social workers, psychologists, and other experts to obtain the best results for his clients.

Ed is frequently asked to represent clients in the U.S. federal district courts in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria and Richmond, in Washington, D.C., and Maryland in Greenbelt and Baltimore. His federal practice goes beyond the local area - including federal district courts in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and wherever else his services are sought.

Ed was responsible for thousands of clients at the D.C. Public Defender Service - the pre-eminent criminal defense office in the country - for 12 years as a trial attorney, supervising trial attorney, special counsel for forensic DNA and forensic sciences, and chief of the trial division. As the lead trial attorney in the office, Ed provided overall management of the 60-attorney unit to ensure that every client received superior representation and also enjoyed his own active trial caseload of complex criminal cases. Ed has developed a particular expertise with forensic DNA and other scientific evidence, cases alleging sexual misconduct and child pornography, narcotics offenses, homicides and violent offenses, and mental health evidence and defenses to charges for persons suffering from mental illness. Ed has personally tried approximately 50 cases in D.C. Superior Court in Washington, D.C. and has closely supervised many more. 

Ed practices in all the courts and courthouses across Northern Virginia. He is frequently found in the Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun courthouses. He also practices in Prince George, Stafford, and Spotsylvania Counties to the South and Fauquier and courts in the Shenandoah Valley to the West. And for especially difficult cases, he is asked to travel to the Tidewater and the western part of the state. Ed is a trial attorney. Ed got all charges dismissed for a client charged with attempted murder in Arlington County, avoided the death penalty in Prince William County for a client who shot and killed police officers, leading to the abolition of the Virginia death penalty, and has obtained dismissals of cases and no-charge decisions across Northern Virginia and in Washington, D.C.

Ed's practice includes representation on criminal appeals and limited state and federal post-conviction, as well as motions to seal and expunge prior criminal history events. Ed spent three years as a full-time appellate and post-conviction specialist to establish a base of legal knowledge and skills before becoming a trial attorney. He continues to handle appeals in D.C., Virginia, and the federal courts, whether for someone who seeks relief from adverse legal judgments at the trial level or as the author of amicus (friend of the court) briefs in support of the appeals of others. He also presents clemency applications to the Governor of Virginia, the U.S. Pardon Office, and the President of the United States. 

Ed is an attorney other lawyers turn to for legal and ethical advice. He provides ethics opinions to judges and lawyers, helps attorneys and other professionals obtain and maintain their professional licenses, and is brought in to consult on challenging cases by other lawyers. 

Ed graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and from Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut. During law school, Ed worked for two large DC law firms, Jenner & Block and Akin, Gump. Upon graduating from law school, Ed clerked in Montgomery, Alabama for the Honorable Frank M. Johnson, Jr., on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Martin Luther King, Jr. called Judge Johnson "the man who gave true meaning to the word justice." Ed's federal appellate clerkship with one of the most illustrious judges in U.S. history was an unparalleled learning experience. Originally from New Jersey, Ed and his family have lived in the greater Washington, D.C. area for many years. He and his wife - who founded a public charter school for children with and without special needs - are grounded in the social and political community - including hosting political fundraisers for progressive candidates who have gone on to win their elections and become political leaders.

Ed brings his successful style of thoughtful, creative, aggressive, and client-centered representation to clients in federal court, D.C. Superior Court, and Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts across Virginia, particularly in the cities and counties in Northern Virginia. 

Ed is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C., Virginia, New York, and New Jersey, as well as all of the federal courts in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. He represents persons in need both in the trial courts and on appeal. He also serves as local and/or specialized counsel in complex or creative civil cases, where his expertise in the local courts or in successful trial litigation is valuable.

Criminal investigations and charges can have serious, life-changing consequences. Each client's case is exceedingly important to the client and, therefore, Ed. The firm handles a relatively small number of cases at any time to enable Ed to give each case the personal time and close, individual attention it deserves to obtain the best outcome for his client. Ed's representation begins by understanding all the facts and your goals. He will keep you fully informed about your case and case strategy. He will answer your questions and be available to you. Every client gets Ed's full and personal zealous commitment and dedication.

In criminal cases, the government has significant taxpayer-funded resources – prosecutors, police officers, laboratories, and budgets – at its disposal when it chooses to bring charges against an individual. To win the best possible result, there are no shortcuts. The defense must fight the government fact by fact, which requires thorough and relentless preparation. 

Ed believes the best outcome for a client can be reached only after extensive pre-trial preparation and the confidence to succeed in the trial courtroom. Ed starts each case with the understanding that a trial may be necessary to achieve his client's goals. Even the best settlements are reached when the government knows the defense is capable of going to trial and will go to trial to vindicate the client. Ed has tried, with success, scores of criminal cases -- from the simplest to capital murder. 

Whether by trial or pre-trial settlement, Ed zealously works to achieve the best outcome for each client. 

Honors and Awards

• 2022 Top 100 Lawyers in Virginia, Criminal Defense, National Trial Lawyers Association, Criminal Defense, National Trial Lawyers Association
• 2021 Best Lawyers, Criminal Defense, Washingtonian Magazine
• 2021 Top 100 Lawyers in Virginia, Criminal Defense, National Trial Lawyers Association, Criminal Defense, National Trial Lawyers Association
• 2020 Best Lawyers, Criminal Defense, Washingtonian Magazine
• 2018 Best Lawyer in Criminal Defense Practice in Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine
• Bill Geimer Award Recipient for dedicated capital defense, presented by Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse, Washington & Lee School of Law (2017-18)
• Spirit of the Law Award, Forensic and Legal Psychology Program, Marymount University (2015)
• Kutak-Dodds Prize, National Legal Aid & Defender Association (2014)
• President's Commendation, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2010)
• President's Commendation, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2006)
• Mary McCarthy Fellowship in Public Interest Law, Yale Law School (1992)

Memberships

• National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDL)
• National Association for Public Defense (NAPD)
• District of Columbia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (DCCDL)
• District of Columbia Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association (SCTLA)
• Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (VACDL)
• VADefenses Listserv (Northern Virginia criminal defense invited membership listserv)
• Past and Ongoing memberships in the Arlington County, Alexandria City, and Prince William County Bar Associations

Clinical and Classroom Teaching

• Visiting Instructor, Trial Advocacy Workshop, Harvard Law School (2009 - current)
• Supervising Attorney, Criminal Division, DC Law Students in Court (December 2018 - June 2019)
• Adjunct Professor, Mitigation and the Death Penalty, Forensic & Legal Psychology Graduate Program, Marymount University (Fall 2013 - Fall 2017)
• Adjunct Professor of Law, Arizona State University College of Law (1994-95)

Edward Ungvarsky in Alexandria Ed Ungvarsky in Washington Ed Ungvarsky in Alexandria

• Edward J. Ungvarsky, ABA Formal Opinion 498: Timely Guidance for Virtual Practice, Champion 59 (Aug. 2021),  NACDL - Practice Points: ABA Formal Opinion 498: Timely Guidance for Virtual Practice 
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, Stamos Is in Denial about Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice, InsideNOVA (Apr. 17, 2019), https://www.insidenova.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-stamos-is-in-denial-about-racial-disparities-in-criminal/article_9cf484ce-6066-11e9-a868-0f8c1cfb7a79.html
• Gene Rossi & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Terry McAuliffe’s Squandered Opportunity for Compassion, Wash. Post (July 23, 2017), https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gov-mcauliffe-made-an-irreversible-mistake/2017/07/21/294b0814-6800-11e7-8eb5-cbccc2e7bfbf_story.html?utm_term=.0c9a2a1afe43
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, Bryan Stevenson for the Supreme Court, National Association for Public Defense, http://publicdefenders.us/?q=node%2F998 (Feb. 22, 2016)
• Jack Ballantyne, Catherine Cothran, Jules Epstein, Christine Funk, Chris Plourd, Vanessa Potkin, Ronald Reinstein, & Edward Ungvarsky, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, DNA for the Defense Bar (June 2012), https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/237975.pdf 
• Bernadette Mary Donovan & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward – Or Has It Been a Path Misplaced?, Champion 16 (Feb. 2012), https://www.nacdl.org/champion.aspx?id=23807
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, Letter to the Editor, A Different Path to the High Court?, Wash. Post A20 (Apr. 25, 2010)
• Nell Sedransk, Linda J. Young, Katrina Kelner, Robert Moffitt, Ani Thakar, Jordan Raddick, Edward Ungvarsky, Richard W. Carlson, Rolf Apweiler, Lawrence H. Cox, Deborah Nolan, Keith A. Soper, & Cliff Spiegelman, Make Research Data Public? – Not Always So Simple: A Dialogue for Statisticians and Science Editors, 25 Statistical Sci. 41 (2010), https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.ss/1280841732
• Dan Krane, David Balding, V. Bahn, Bicka Barlow, J.E. Cohen, Betty Layne DesPortes, Peter D’Eustachio, Travis E. Doom, Simon Ford, Christine Funk, Jason Gilder, Greg Hampikian, Keith. Inman, Alan Jamieson, Patrick E. Kent, Roger Koppl, Irv Kornfield III, Sheldon Krimsky, Jennifer Mnookin, Lawrence Mueller, Erin Murphy, David R. Paoletti, D. Petrov, Michael Raymer, Andrea Roth, Norah Rudin, William Shields, Jay A. Siegel, Travis Speed, Cliff Spiegelman, Patrick Sullivan, Anjali R. Swienton, William C. Thompson, & Edward Ungvarsky, Letter to the Editor, Time for DNA Disclosure, 326 Science 1631-32 (2009), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20019271
• Andrea L. Roth & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Data Sharing in Forensic Science: Consequences for the Legal System, 2009 Proceedings of the Joint Statistical Meetings 469-74 (2009), https://works.bepress.com/andrea_roth/8/
• Andrea L. Roth & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Book Review, Forensic Identification and Criminal Justice: Forensic Science, Justice, and Risk, by Carole McCartney, 8 Law, Probability, and Risk 55 (2009), https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1317441
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, Remarks on The Use and Misuse of Forensic Science to Lead to False Convictions, 41 New England L. Rev. 609 (2007), https://newenglrev.com/archive/volume-41/issue-3-2/v41b3ungvarsky/
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, What Does “1 in a Trillion” Mean?, 20 GeneWatch 10 (Jan./Feb. 2007), http://wispd.org/attachments/article/244/What%20does%20One%20in%20a%20Trillion%20Mean.pdf 
• Frederika A. Kaestle, Ricky A. Kittles, Andrea L. Roth, & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Database Limitations on the Evidentiary Value of Forensic Mitochondrial DNA Evidence, 43 Am. Crim. L. Rev. 53 (2006), https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1247662
• Rebecca S. Tinio & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Expert Testimony, in Criminal Procedure Institute Practice Manual (The Deborah T. Creek Criminal Practice Institute 2005 ed.)
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, Reasonable Doubt in the Age of CSI: Experts and Science in the Courtroom, 6 The San Antonio Defender 3 (July/Aug. 2005)
• Richard S. Schmechel, William C. Thompson, & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Defending with (and Against) Forensic Evidence: A Call for Shared Resources, Champion 39 (Aug. 2005)
• Edward J. Ungvarsky, Letter to the Editor re: Death Penalty: The Catholic Position, N.Y. Post (Apr. 2, 1996)
• Michael J. Raphael & Edward J. Ungvarsky, Excuses, Excuses: Neutral Explanations Under Batson v. Kentucky, 27 U. Mich. J.L. Ref. 229 (1994), reprinted in James G. Carr, ed., Criminal Law Review 463 (1995), https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/umijlr27&div=9&id=&page=