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Craig J. Rosenstein

Founder and owner of Rosenstein Law Group, which celebrates 12 years of business in Scottsdale and focuses on DUI Criminal Defense, as well as a proud pop of two and new owner of Hi Health

Why were you drawn to law? I have always had a profound interest in the way the government works and more specifically how it applies to the everyday lives of its citizens. What you learn very quickly is that there is a constant and unending assault on the rights of every citizen. The erosion is usually the result of good intentioned but overzealous government officials. The Court system is the only place where that encroachment can be checked. I thrive on knowing that my daily work is holding the line and preserving the rights we know and love for my kids and the next generation. 

What is the most rewarding part of your career? What about the biggest challenge? My job is stressful. My team and I are often the only thing that stands between our client’s freedom and those who wish to take it from them. Our clients need us, and we love nothing more than being there for them. It is both the most rewarding and most stressful part of what we do.

Can you share a client story that is particularly special to you? I tried a DUI case where my client was HIV positive and his anti-viral medications made him nauseous. He used marijuana prior to medical marijuana being passed into law to help with the nausea. He was objectively sober at the time of his arrest, as he had no active THC in his system. One of the best moments of my career was when the jury returned a not guilty verdict. He had so much riding on that result, as he would have lost his job and therefore his health insurance that covered his very expensive lifesaving medications, if he had been convicted. That misdemeanor DUI case literally held his life on the line and fortunately justice prevailed.

What is your hope for the future of the law field in the Valley? I am extremely proud of my involvement in Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ) in which I am a board member and was its president last year. Our role can be seen and felt by each and every citizen. Our involvement is seen in the lack of blatantly unconstitutional laws coming out of the legislature that had previously embarrassed our state on a national level. We see many important challenges in the coming years and are proud of the steps we’re taking now to be proactive in addressing them.  

What influence do you hope to have on the Valley? I have always been and will always be a people person. My personal influence on the Valley will be measured in only one metric: how I help people. That’s certainly true for our clients but it’s also true for the amazing men and women who currently work and those that previously have worked for me. If my lasting legacy on the Valley is a group of a hardworking, ultra-competent attorneys and staff who care deeply about their clients and understand the importance of communicating with their clients, then I will be a happy man.