Lawyer-Scientist

The ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS

ACS-CHAL Lawyer-ScientistLike “poet-warrior” or “philosopher-king,” there are lawyers of a new breed known as the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist. The ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist is one who uses validated and legitimate science for the benefit of justice. These are lawyers who study the science and apply it legitimately in the courtroom. They expose invalid or non-validated science and use valid science in the courtroom. They eschew the smoke and mirrors techniques of old and embrace the science for the benefit of all. The official title is “The ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS” but ACS-CHAL has approved a shorthand where the person who has earned the honor can say that he or she has earned “The ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation” or the person as an “ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist.”   List and profiles of the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist(TM) (in order of completion of all criteria):

State Name Date Earned
Arizona Debora Lelli 10/24/2019
Arizona Javier Alatorre 10/27/2023
Arkansas Brad Williams 11/14/2015
Arkansas Tommy L. Bennett 10/15/2016
California Ron Moore 06/28/2014
California Eric Ganci 12/20/2014
California Jeremy Brehmer 12/20/2014
California Manuel J. Barba 12/20/2014
California Richard Middlebrook 12/20/2014
California Jonathan Rooker 06/13/2015
California Terry Wapner 06/13/2015
California Anthony Nehme 11/04/2017
California Bo Koenig 10/24/2019
Colorado Timothy Bussey 04/25/2015
Colorado Emilio De Simone 11/04/2017
Florida AnneMarie Rizzo 11/14/2015
Florida Armando Edmiston 11/14/2015
Florida Thomas Grajek 11/14/2015
Florida Joseph Dernbach 10/15/2016
Florida Daniel Cavanaugh 09/24/2022
Georgia Clark Adams 06/28/2014
Georgia Kim Keheley Frye 11/14/2015
Kansas John Thurston 10/17/2014
Kansas Tom Addair 11/14/2015
Kansas Seth Brackman 10/27/2023
Louisiana Glynn Delatte 06/28/2014
Louisiana Robert D. McMillin 10/29/2021
Louisiana Tommy Dewey 10/27/2023
Maryland Andrew Alpert 06/28/2014
Massachusetts Greg Oberhauser 12/20/2014
Michigan Barton Morris 10/17/2014
Michigan Muthu Veerappan 10/27/2023
Minnesota Charles A Ramsay 08/15/2015
Missouri J. Denise Carter 11/04/2017
Missouri Greg Watt 10/20/2018
New Jersey Steven W. Hernandez 10/17/2014
New York Alicia Lilley 10/30/2021
Ohio Jeff Meadows 10/20/2018
Ohio Jeffrey C. Kakish 10/15/2016
Ohio Joseph Hada 11/04/2017
Ohio Ronald Annotico 11/04/2017
Ohio T. Douglas Clifford 11/04/2017
Ohio Daniel J. Sabol 06/09/2018
Oklahoma Josh D. Lee 05/21/2014
Pennsylvania Justin J. McShane 05/21/2014
Pennsylvania Katherine McShane 05/21/2014
Pennsylvania Brian Manchester 06/28/2014
South Carolina Joe Good 10/29/2022
Tennessee Marcos Garza 06/28/2014
Tennessee Doug Aaron 11/04/2017
Tennessee Graham F. Cox 10/20/2018
Texas Tad Nelson 06/03/2014
Texas Amber Spurlock 06/28/2014
Texas Mark Thiessen 06/28/2014
Texas Mark Kelly 10/17/2014
Texas Jamie Balagia 12/20/2014
Texas Tyler Flood 08/15/2015
Texas Dane Johnson 11/14/2015
Texas Deandra Grant 11/14/2015
Texas Drew Prisner 11/14/2015
Texas RC Pate 11/14/2015
Texas Jay Cohen 08/05/2016
Texas Craig Greening 10/15/2016
Texas Jessica Joyner 10/15/2016
Texas Andrew Deegan 09/09/2017
Texas Carl David Ceder 09/09/2017
Texas Erik Smith 11/04/2017
Texas Frank Powell 11/04/2017
Texas Rene A. Flores 11/04/2017
Texas Sean Evans 11/04/2017
Texas Shane Phelps 11/04/2017
Texas Alli Cannon 10/20/2018
Texas Chris Hesse 10/20/2018
Texas Jason Sosa 10/20/2018
Texas Phil Baker 10/20/2018
Texas Lisa Gonzalez Salceda 10/20/2018
Texas Andreea Ionescu 10/20/2018
Texas Chris Denuna 10/20/2018
Texas John Cook 06/07/2019
Texas Jante Langan 09/07/2019
Texas Cailey McLain 10/24/2019
Texas John Anderson 10/24/2019
Texas Sean Darvishi 10/24/2019
Texas Steven W. Wright  10/24/2019
Texas Nnamdi Ekeh 10/24/2019
Texas Tony Sun 10/24/2019
Texas Javier Guzman 10/30/2021
Texas James Fletcher 10/30/2021
Texas Rick Ramos Jr. 10/30/2021
Texas Sanjay Biswas 10/30/2021
Texas Brian Ayson 10/30/2021
Texas Stephanie Morales 10/29/2021
Texas C. Stephen Stewart 10/29/2021
Texas Douglas Huff 10/29/2022
Texas Flint Schneider 10/29/2022
Texas Phillip W. Goff 10/27/2023
Texas Joseph Ruiz 10/27/2023
Texas Reilly Garrett 10/27/2023
Texas Jim Butler 10/27/2023
Texas Makenzie Zarate 10/27/2023
Texas Adam Tisdell 10/27/2023
Texas 10/27/2023
Texas 06/22/2024
Utah Matthew L. Nebeker 11/14/2015
Virginia Jeff Martin 06/09/2018
Virginia T. Kevin Wilson 10/20/2018
West Virginia John D. Wooton Jr. 10/27/2023
Wisconsin Michael Cohen 10/17/2014
Wisconsin Nathan J. Dineen 10/17/2014
Wisconsin Casey Hoff 04/25/2015
Wisconsin Sarah M. Schmeiser 04/02/2016
Wyoming R. Michael Vang 06/13/2015

About the Program With more than 161,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. The Chemistry and the Law Division (CHAL) has over 1400 members. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemical enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers and related professions around the globe. The ACS is dynamic and visionary, committed to “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.”  This vision ─ developed and adopted by the ACS Board of Directors after broad consultation with the membership ─ fully complements the ACS Mission statement, which is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” Together, these two statements represent the ACS’s ultimate reason for being and provide a strategic framework for our efforts. As all of you are aware the ACS sponsors and approves the series of three courses that are offered for lawyers through Axion Analytical Labs in Chicago, IL. The ACS Education Committee has previously approved all 3 courses. Details on the 3 classes can be found here: https://forensicchromatography.com/

  1. The first class “Forensic Chromatography” involves DUI ethanol based analysis by HS-GC-FID.
  2. The second class “Forensic Drug Analysis” involves the instrumental analysis of solid drugs in their pre-consumption form using FTIR, GC-MS, Colormetrics, Microscopy, Thin Layer Chromatography, etc.
  3. The third class “Forensic Principles of DUID” involves the pharmacology of drugs, also driving issues in drugs, as well as instrumental analysis using GC-MS.

All three classes are hands-on classes with labs and actual sample development, testing, and data interpretation. We use the instruments in the same way, using the same matrices in the Axion Laboratory as an analyst would in a forensic laboratory. They are wonderfully educational and wholly unique. In talking with many, both inside and outside of the ACS, the instructors of these courses wanted to recognize the accomplishment and time commitment of the attorneys who truly learned the science. It had to be something beyond simply an attendance based achievement, but also recognized retention of the highly specialized knowledge. We are proud to announce that after many months of petitioning and meeting with various entities of the ACS, we achieved our goal. On May 21, 2014, there was a unanimous vote to approve the recognition. It is formally called “The ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS” but has also been approved to be called simply having earned “The ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation” or the person as an “ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist.” These titles are collectively known as “The Designation.”   Eligibility: To earn an ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS, the prospects must complete coursework outlined below and then take and pass a proficiency test based upon what is learned in those courses. The official qualification criteria are as follows:

  1. You must be and remain a member in good standing with the ACS-Chemistry and the Law Division.
  2. You must be a lawyer in good standing with your state bar.
  3. You must answer questions put to you by CHAL about your bar status upon demand as well as your compliance with all terms and conditions of the designation.
  4. You must successfully complete the ACS Forensic Chromatography Course TWO TIMES.
  5. You must successfully complete the ACS Solid Drug Dose (Forensic Drug Analysis) Course.
  6. You must successfully complete the ACS Forensic DUID (Forensic Principles of DUID) Course.
  7. You must pass a proficiency and knowledge examination based upon the courses.
  8. You must agree that the advertising and display of any credentials will be done only in a tasteful and ethical manner per the ACS and your state bar rules and per the language of “ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation as recognized by the Chemistry and the Law Division of the ACS” or shortened simply to having earned “The ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation” or referring to the person as an “ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist.”
  9. You must agree that that these rules and terms may change without future notice or right to appeal.

  The ACS as well as Axion Laboratories, Inc. at all times complies with the spirit and the law of non-discrimination. You do not need to belong to any particular organization other than the ACS-CHAL. Each person who has earned this designation is responsible for knowing and adhering to their state’s ethical rules for advertising and agrees to hold harmless and indemnify ACS, ACS-CHAL, Axion Labs and the instructors in any litigation that may arise out of the use of the designation.   In addition to earning the designation:

  • Your name will be entered into the CHAL meeting minutes to officially note forever that you have earned the Designation.
  • You will receive a custom made and individualized award known as the “Golden Column” that is fit for display in your office and on your website, and/or social media.
  • You will receive a badge that you can use on your website and electronic signature card.
  • You will receive a page on the forensic chromatography website that will include a photo of you, a brief profile, and a link to one website of your designation

About The Golden Column

The Golden Column was designed by attorneys Josh Lee, Justin McShane, and Katy Kennedy. It was manufactured by Society Awards, the same people who make many well known awards for such groups as CMT, BET, MTV, The Voice, The Golden Globes, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Academy of Country Music, and Emmy Awards just to name a few.

About Society Awards: Society Awards is the premier designer and manufacturer of awards and objects of art for the most renowned and prestigious artists, brands and organizations. We believe in a luxury experience for our clients, with approachable service backed by unmatched expertise and the drive to push creative and manufacturing boundaries. We know that when the product carries the Society Awards name, that means it’s the best. From concept to final creation, packaging, logistics, we make the magic happen. Experience our world at www.societyawards.com.