Joseph P. St. Louis named dean of the National College for DUI Defense

Arizona DUI attorney Joseph P. St. Louis has begun a one-year term as dean of the National College for DUI Defense, where he will oversee education programs for attorneys handling DUI and DUI homicide cases. The appointment underscores how scientific evidence is reshaping DUI defense and why advanced training is becoming more important for lawyers across North America.

Why it matters: - DUI defense increasingly depends on understanding breath- and blood-testing technology, toxicology and pharmacology. - The National College for DUI Defense trains more than 1,700 attorneys in the United States and Canada. - Advanced legal education can affect outcomes in DUI and DUI homicide cases where scientific evidence and constitutional law are central.

What happened: - Joseph P. St. Louis has begun serving as dean of the National College for DUI Defense. - The Tucson, Arizona attorney will serve a one-year term. - St. Louis is the managing partner of St. Louis Huffman Law in Tucson. - St. Louis has practiced exclusively in DUI, DUI homicide and criminal defense for nearly four decades.

The details: - St. Louis will oversee the college’s educational programming, faculty development and efforts to expand access to advanced DUI defense training across North America. - Since joining the Board of Regents in 2014, St. Louis has focused on training attorneys to challenge complex scientific evidence. - St. Louis has taught at NCDD’s Serious Science seminars at the University of Texas at Arlington. - St. Louis helped develop a nationwide educational webinar that drew more than 850 attorneys from public defender offices. - St. Louis is board certified in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Arizona and in DUI Defense by the National College for DUI Defense. - The Best Lawyers in America has recognized St. Louis for DUI Defense every year since 2013.

Between the lines: - NCDD is signaling that science-heavy DUI litigation is now a core competency for defense lawyers, not a niche specialty. - The emphasis on public defender access suggests the organization is trying to narrow training gaps between well-resourced firms and underfunded defense offices. - Bruce Edge, NCDD dean emeritus, said St. Louis has earned respect through years of leadership and is well suited to serve as dean. - St. Louis said his priority is ensuring attorneys in large firms and under-resourced public defender offices have access to rigorous, current training.

What's next: - St. Louis’s dean term will run for one year. - NCDD is expected to continue its advanced programs, seminars and public defender training initiatives during his tenure. - The college will keep focusing on education for attorneys handling DUI-related cases involving forensic science and constitutional issues.

The bottom line: - NCDD is putting a science-focused DUI litigator in charge as the field becomes more technically complex.