David M Gonzalez

Biography

David M. Gonzalez has taught trial advocacy for the past decade.

When he's not on campus, David has an active criminal and civil trial and appellate practice at Sumpter & Gonzalez. David is humbled to receive the following awards for his work over the past twenty-four years:

• 2022 awarded the Honorary Order of Barristers Award by the Board of Advocates 
• 2021 awarded Defense Attorney Award for Excellence in Criminal Law by the Austin Bar Association
• 2018 awarded the Federal Practictioner of the Year Award by the Austin Federal Bar Association
• 2017 Professionalism Award chosen by the Austin Bar Association and Texas Center for Legal Ethics
• 2012 award for Sumpter & Gonzalez for "Excellence in Public Interest by a Private Law Firm" from the University of Texas School of Law
• In 2011 and 2010 Sumpter & Gonzalez was a finalist in the Austin Chamber of Commerce Awards in the “Innovation” category
• 2008 David was awarded the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year award by the Austin Young Lawyers Association, and was a finalist in the American Bar Association’s National Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year & in the local Austin Under 40 awards.

In 2023 David received the incredible honor of Fellowship invitations in both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after years of investigation and scrutiny, to experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Membership can never be more than 1% of the total lawyer population of any state or province. The International Academy membership is limited to only 500 Fellows from the United States. 

In addition to his criminal defense practice, David has been appointed as a special prosecutor in numerous complicated matters ranging from elected public official prosecution to officer involved shootings. David also represents victims of criminal offenses through the civil justice system. 

David frequently testifies as an expert witness in both the Texas House and Texas Senate committees on criminal jurisprudence. 

David also has extensive experience in legal professional responsibilty, legal ethics and lawyer discipline. David was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve on the Board of Disciplinary Appeals and was elected chair of the board by his fellow members in 2021. In the federal bar, David is currently the Chair of the Western District Disciplinary Committee. 

David is a Master of the Bar in the Lloyd Lochridge Inn of Court, served on the Executive Committee for the past decade, and was elected and served as President of the Lochridge Inn in 2020-2021. 

In addition to teaching Trial Advocacy, David also teaches a Plan II Honors Writing Seminar with Professor Susan Klein. He has been a guest speaker in numerous other courses in the law school including the Criminal Defense Clinic, Federal Prosecution Clinic, Domestic Violence Clinic, Federal Criminal Law Seminar, Societal Problems Resulting From Texas Criminal Procedure Seminar, and Advanced Federal Prosecution Seminar.  

David is a frequent invited speaker at continuing legal education seminars for lawyers and judges. He has been an invited to present at the Fifth Circuit Judicial Conference, the State Bar Annual Meeting, the Advanced Criminal Law Course, Rusty Duncan, the TDCAA Annual Meeting, and hundreds of other programs designed to educate lawyers on developments in the law. David also designs training curriculums as well. David served as the Course Director for the 2021 State Bar of Texas Advanced Criminal Law Course, served as the Course Director for the Criminal Law 101 program, and independently created training academies for new public defender officers.

He doesn't just teach lawyers. As part of his life's work to prevent crime, he and Corinne Sumpter have created a curriculum teaching teenagers complicated issues involving sexual assault and consent. For the past decade he and Corinne have taught programs at Gardner Betts Juvenile Court, Kealing Middle School, Small Middle School, Fulmore Middle School, St. Andrews (middle school and high school), St. Stephens, St. Michael's, Akins H.S. and the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA). As his work extends to juvenile law, David has also presented at PTA meetings of those school and other area AISD schools from topics ranging from substance use to digital citizenship. Corinne and David frequently deliver presentations to the entire student body - sometimes while their own teenagers sit uncomfortably in the audience horrified as their parents talk about sex in front of all their friends. 

David froze to death at Dartmouth College, then went out west to Stanford Law School in search of warmer weather. David met his wife, Corinne, on the first day of law school, but she pretty much ignored him for the next eighteen months until he was able to convince her to date him midway through their second year. The two of them juggle their law practice with four kids in tow. In his free time, David enjoys reading books about the brain, loves clearing cedar at his family's ranch, watches a lot of his kids' softball and baseball games, and repeatedly and effectively embarrasses his kids in public.