About Luke Newman
Luke Newman is an experienced Tallahassee criminal defense attorney who began his practice in 2004 as part of a small law firm handling only criminal matters, from civil traffic infractions to murder appeals. In 2009, Luke opened his own law practice dedicated to criminal trial advocacy and criminal appeals. He is one of fewer than 70 Florida attorneys board certified by the Florida Bar in criminal appeals. He has been appointed by the Florida Bar to chair the committee which tests and evaluates other attorneys (including prosecutors and judges) seeking criminal law board certification. He has been elected by his peers to statewide leadership positions in the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and has been asked to serve as speaker on criminal defense practice at statewide seminars for other defense attorneys.
Education and Bar Admissions:
- University of Texas, B.A., 2001
- Florida State University College of Law, 2004, graduated with honors
- State of Florida Bar, 2004
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2005
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 2010
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2024
Professional Recognition:
- Board Certification
2011 – Luke Newman passed the board certification exam to become board certified as a specialist in the area of criminal appeals. There are fewer than 350 attorneys in the state of Florida who are board certified in criminal law. Fewer than 70 are board certified in criminal appeals.
- Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee
2012 – Luke Newman was appointed to the Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee. This is the Florida Bar committee of board-certified criminal lawyers (defense attorneys, judges and prosecutors alike) who administer the testing and evaluation of other attorneys who wishes to become board certified in criminal law.
- Chairman, Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee
2016 to 2017 – Luke Newman serves as the Chair of the Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee charged with testing, evaluating and deciding whether other Florida attorneys are permitted to hold themselves out as experts or specialists in the field of criminal law (trials and/or appeals).
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
2016 – Luke Newman was elected by criminal defense attorneys across the state of Florida to serve as a Director-at-Large in the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (FACDL) with a term running from 2016 through 2019.
2019 – Luke Newman was elected to serve as Secretary of FACDL with a term running from 2019 through 2020.
2020 – Luke Newman served as the FACDL Treasurer with a term running from 2020 through 2021.
2021 – Luke Newman served as the FACDL Vice President with a term running from 2021 through 2022.
2021 – Luke Newman served as Editor of the Florida Defender Magazine.
2022 – Luke Newman served as the FACDL President-Elect with a term running from 2022 through 2023.
2023 – Luke Newman was sworn in as the President of FACDL, with a term running from 2023 through 2024.
Florida Bar Committees:
- Appellate Court Rules Committee (ACRC), with a term running through June 2025
- ACRC – Criminal Practice Subcommittee, term ending June 2023
- ACRC – Family Law Practice Subcommittee, term ending June 2023
- 2nd Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee A, term ending 2024
Seminars Taught:
- Preserving Sentencing Errors for Review, 2009
- Introduction to Appellate Preservation, 2013
- Improper Closing Arguments, 2016
Ratings by Clients:
Luke is committed to providing clients with dedicated and attentive representation. He prides himself on taking the time to actively listen to clients so he can thoroughly understand the underlying issues that have resulted in the present criminal accusation. He has been awarded the “Superb” rating in the AVVO criminal defense attorney client assessment rankings.
