“Clients are family. When a client retains us as counsel, we represent them with the same passion and care as if they are family. That’s something I and my staff take very seriously. We are driven to get the best possible result, but at the same time, just like family, we are going to give our clients the truth and speak realistically about the options. Because of the way we treat our clients and the results we obtain, when a client hires us, they are clients for life. They know no matter the case, no matter the situation, no matter the time of night or day, they can call us and we are there for them to do what it takes to ensure they are taken care of,” says Mark Lassiter of the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter.
Lassiter credits his personal background combined with his military experience with providing his firm’s clients with a unique advantage. “I was raised in an environment where family was everything. I was home-schooled with my six sisters and brother. We were not well off by any means so each of us learned the value of hard work and most importantly, how to find solutions to any obstacle that faced us. That has served me very well as a criminal defense attorney because I don’t just give up because the facts of the case seem insurmountable. I find another way to overcome them.”
His military experience is another area having a profound impact on his life, career and growth of his law firm. Lassiter joined the U.S. Army as soon as his age allowed. He served as an airborne infantryman as part of the 143rd Long Range Surveillance Team (LRS); a gunner in an M1 Abrams A2 tank; and while serving as a tank gunner, he was selected to attend officer candidate school – consistently achieving honors as a top graduate. As a lieutenant in the United States Army he was part of military intelligence, the JAG Corp and served as a battalion executive officer.
One of the things he mastered was the ability to pay close attention to detail. “I can’t even describe how many cases I have won because a prosecutor, police officer or other attorney has failed to pay attention to the details of the case. Those details make the difference between winning and losing the case,” he says.
Removing the Burden from the Client
Lassiter says his management style is to avoid managing his clients. His team works to take the burden off their clients’ shoulders to let them get on with their lives. He reassures them that they are in qualified hands and that their concerns will be handled fully and properly.
He says, “When someone comes in charged with a crime they’re rightfully upset. We try to make them understand that we’re going to take care of everything. Because, if you live your daily life speculating about every possible scenario that may occur with your case you’ll drive yourself insane. We are there to take that burden for you. Let us carry the load.”
From the outset of creating his criminal defense practice, Lassiter quickly became recognized among his peers as being one of the top lawyers in his field. He has been asked to address other criminal lawyers on many occasions on how to prepare cases, how to select juries, how to address different legal issues, and how to win a trial. His peers each year select him as a “Super Lawyer” in his field. He is listed in Who’s Who of America and is recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
Lassiter earned his Bachelor of Arts in business management from Texas A&M University and his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law. He is licensed in all state courts throughout Texas, the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas Federal Court, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
He is a former Dallas County prosecutor and is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Texas Young Lawyers Association, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Dallas Association for Young Lawyers – criminal law committee, board member and president of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers and member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The firm’s practice areas include, DUI and DWI, drug offenses, the and robbery, gun possession, assault, youth offenders, domestic abuse, sex crimes, murder, homicide, white collar crime, and record clearing.
When asked why he chose criminal defense, Lassiter’s answer was simple. “When I’m in a courtroom right after a jury trial and I get that not guilty verdict, I know that I was a part of seeing justice done. Justice that this person would never have seen without strong representation – that’s the reason I am in this line of work.”
