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Stefanie Lambert: Integrity, Courage & Faith

By Katherine Bishop

Stefanie Lambert is a name that resonates with integrity, courage and commitment to upholding the Constitution. Her role as an attorney is one she takes seriously, characterized by her unwavering belief and adherence to the oath she took upon passing the Bar.

“I have tremendous respect for the U.S. Constitution and how our justice system is intended to be utilized,” she says. “I think that’s where I’ve been strong and effective, where I’m not afraid to aggressively advocate for my clients whether it’s through the court or with opposing counsel. I think a lot of people are more concerned about professional relationships and shaking hands and not having any animosity at a holiday party. I’m friendly, I have a lot of good relationships with judges and opposing counsel. But at the end of the day, I have to do what’s right and what’s in my client’s best interest, and I really don’t care what other people think.”

I have a lot of good relationships with judges and opposing counsel. But at the end of the day, I have to do what’s right and what’s in my client’s best interest ...

Jumping in the Deep End

A highly experienced and dedicated legal professional, Lambert began her career in a position that was in essence trial by fire. In 2007, Lambert was hired as a prosecutor for Wayne County, Michigan. Always one of the busiest prosecutor’s offices in the country, at that time the caseload was particularly high with only about 100 attorneys to handle the load.

From her first day Lambert was handed some of the toughest cases including murder, sexual assault, terrorism, bank robberies, and other capital crimes. There was no “breaking in” period, although she says she had the support of more senior prosecutors it was simply a situation where she had to dive in.

“L.A., New York, Chicago along with Detroit are really the main prosecutor offices in the country that handle the highest volume of very serious violent crime,” she says. “I chose to go into what would be comparable to a legal ER. When you’re a prosecutor there are a lot of trials. A lot of attorneys kind of sit at a desk all day and push paper, whereas a prosecuting attorney is always preparing for trial or in court, so they get a lot of trial experience.

“I chose to join an office where I’d get a lot of experience, and boy, did I get a lot of experience!”

Integrity lies at the core of a prosecutor’s role in the criminal justice system. It is the bedrock upon which justice is built. Lambert understands this fundamental principle and exemplifies it in her every action. Her unwavering commitment to fairness, honesty and the rule of law has earned her the respect and admiration of her peers and the community she serves.

In an era when public trust in the justice system is often called into question, Lambert’s integrity shines as a beacon of hope. She recognizes that the power bestowed upon prosecutors carries immense responsibility and that every decision made can have profound consequences. Lambert’s dedication to ensuring that justice is served with fairness and integrity is commendable and sets an example for others in the legal profession.

Private Practice

This immediate, in-the-trenches experience, coupled with her solid education provided Lambert with exceptional knowledge and skills, propelling her to excellence in her career. It also set a solid foundation for her next career move in 2018 when she decided to go into private practice.

“I started doing federal criminal defense, civil cases, and just a wide range of different civil and criminal defense litigation,” she says. “Being on the other side, so to speak, wasn’t really so different because my beliefs and commitment remain the same. I have always valued our Constitution. As a prosecutor, I valued justice and the rule of law, and it’s not any different on the defense side of the table. “A client has rights, and everything needs to be handled appropriately throughout the course of litigation. I like both sides. No matter which side I’m on, I always prepare the opposing side’s case,” she adds. “It’s greatly satisfying to sit there during trial and know that if I were at the other table my preparation would have been better.”

Lambert’s career has been studded with groundbreaking victories in federal courtrooms. Her legal prowess has resulted in satisfied clients. Lambert’s ability to navigate complex legal terrain and her meticulous attention to detail have been instrumental in these victories.

Lambert’s firm brings a boutique and individualized approach to each of her client matters. Lambert works with top attorneys, experts and specialists, and builds an individualized team for each client to achieve the successful outcome desired. And, although her experience extends to a wide range of legal areas, most of which she’s had ample experience with, she always has her client’s best interest at heart.

“Some attorneys get entrenched in one specialty and don’t have the opportunity to utilize a lot of strategies because they don’t have the experience of handling a wide variety of cases,” she says. “While I’ve done prosecution, defense, and a variety of different specialties, I bring in attorneys on each case as needed that have experience exclusively in those specialties. I build an appropriate team for each case. A lot of times it’s just me, but I think what makes me a great attorney is that I have a lot of experience, a lot of talent, and I have drive. But I don’t have an ego. When I need to bring in a supporting team to give my client the best defense, I do that.”

In the Best Interest of the Client

Confident but not cocky, Lambert let’s her conscience and trust in the justice system guide her. Those who know her, know that telling this dedicated attorney it can’t be done, only fuels her determination to prove them wrong. In two separate cases, she was told she was fighting a losing batter. In both cases, she secured sentences that were reduced to an unheard of probation on federal cases.

“I think what I find most gratifying in my career is being able to get tremendous results for my clients that they never thought possible,” she says. “The two cases that I’m particularly proud of were both in federal court and both clients were facing sentences of substantial prison time. One client was facing at least 15 years and the other was looking at a minimum of six months. Neither client had a felony on their record and had never faced a federal case before. They were good people with families and otherwise law-abiding citizens. I saw an incredible injustice taking place and those were cases with a lot litigation both in the courtroom and behind the scenes with opposing counsel. Within one year, I was able to obtain probation for both clients.

“When I was told by those who had tried many cases in federal court that I was reaching too far, I refused to believe that. Those same people couldn’t believe that I was able to achieve what I felt was a fair outcome, because they said they’d never seen anything like that in federal court.”

Throughout her career, Lambert has handled numerous notable cases, and has recently been one of the few attorneys willing to handle unpopular causes related to election matters. Lambert represents whistleblowers, government entities and government officials that have revealed problems with the election system.

Throughout her work on one of these matters, Lambert initially was sanctioned and received her first bar grievance in 15 years. Lambert appealed the order of sanctions, and she won. Additionally, the bar grievance was voluntarily dismissed.

I saw an incredible injustice taking place and those were cases with a lot litigation both in the courtroom and behind the scenes with opposing counsel.

In 2023, Lambert was hired by a client conducting an audit of the Detroit 2020 election. Speckin Forensics, an expert company, was engaged.

“It was discovered during this audit that there were thousands (up to 34,000) absentee ballots returned despite no matching application on file, more ballots than envelopes, and fraudulent ballots with different printing and paper than the official ballot.”

Accurate elections have always been a goal of Lambert’s clients, which is why Lambert has been a zealous advocate despite media attacks and cases dismissed for procedural reasons prior to a discovery process where evidence could be provided for transparency.

Now, Lambert is lead counsel on a landmark case, representing Fulton County, PA. Fulton County has sued Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. for breach of contract.

“An expert company, Speckin Forensics, discovered a malicious python script on the Dominion Voting equipment owned by Fulton County, along with international communication with Canada, allowing for data to be manipulated,” Lambert says.

“Moreover, the equipment failed to comply with Federal Standards (CISA, DISA, and NIST).”

These matters are ongoing, and Lambert expects her clients to prevail.

I never took a case to trial that I didn’t believe in.

Lambert believes in zealous advocacy for all of her client’s and her role as an attorney is not political. She enjoys helping clients address flaws in the election system to ensure the will of the people is reflected in leadership. Lambert believes ensuring the election system works to protect our rights and elect a government by the people, for the people is likely the most significant work she will do as an attorney.

“I never took a case to trial that I didn’t believe in,” says Lambert. “We had cases handed to us all the time as a prosecutor. But I would carefully look at each and every one and I made sure that I believed in it before I’d take it to trial and if I didn’t, I would have resigned. I’m a very ethical person, I believe in justice, and I don’t allow anyone to dissuade me. I do what’s right.

“But I was always surprised when I spoke to the jury afterwards to ask what they thought was important,” she adds. “One time one of the jurors was complimenting my shoes! So, I’m always surprised at what they focused on. Some of the cases that I thought were stronger cases they seem to take more time on and some of the weaker ones they came to a quick decision. As any attorney will tell you, you can never predict what a jury will decide. All we can do is follow the law, present our best case and in the end it’s up to a third party.”

Having it All

But Lambert isn’t just a hard-driving, relentless attorney. She’s also a mom devoted to her three young children.

“My oldest daughter is 11 ½ and she has Down Syndrome,” Lambert says, the love and pride evident in her voice. “My second daughter is 10 ½ and my son is 6 ½. They are all amazing.

“They are all little advocates,” she adds with a laugh. “They like to plead their case and I don’t shut them down. If they present a good enough argument, then I’ll change my mind. It’s not likely, but I allow them to try.”

For Lambert, integrity is the guiding principle not only in the courtroom but in every aspect of her life. Her contributions to the legal profession extend far beyond her courtroom victories. She is a mentor, an advocate, and a role model for aspiring lawyers. Lambert actively participates in legal education programs, sharing her knowledge and experiences with the next generation of legal professionals. Her commitment to nurturing future advocates ensures that the principles of integrity and constitutional rights are upheld for years to come.

Stefanie Lambert: Integrity, Courage & Faith

Jumping in the Deep End

Private Practice

In the Best Interest of the Client

Having it All

Law Office of Stefanie L. Lambert PLLC

Practice Areas

Education

Past Honors

Favorite Quote

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