About Blackie
Blackie Burak has spent decades at the defense table. He earned his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1972 after undergraduate work in pre-law at LaSalle University and a period at Temple University. The path to the courtroom began in classroom discussions and student networks, and it extended into leadership roles that followed his graduation.
Burak completed his Bachelor of Arts at LaSalle University in 1967, after beginning there in 1964. He spent time at Temple University in 1967 before enrolling at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he received his law degree in 1972. During and after his time in law school he helped organize colleagues and peers; he was a co-founder and later a president of the Association of California Deuce Defenders. He also served as past president of the Criminal Law Section of the Contra Costa Bar Association, a role that placed him in frequent contact with prosecutors, judges and other defense counsel.
His professional affiliations trace back to the 1970s and 1980s. He joined California Lawyers for Criminal Justice in 1974 and became a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 1980. He has been involved with the California DUI Lawyers Association since 1985 and has served that group in a leadership capacity as past president. Those memberships underscore sustained engagement with organizations focused on criminal defense and DUI issues.
On the credentials side, Burak earned recognition as a Criminal Law Specialist from the California State Bar, holding that specialist designation from 1983 through 2003. He has also been certified as a DUI Specialist by the California DUI Lawyers Association. These certifications reflect formal recognition within his peer community for work in criminal and DUI defense.
Burak’s practice is conducted under his own name. He has operated as Blackie Burak, Lawyer, handling cases that range from routine misdemeanor charges to complex felony matters. He has spent years representing clients in DUI hearings and criminal trials, and he has combined courtroom experience with roles in bar and specialty organizations.
Observers of his career note the steady throughline: long-term involvement in defense practice, repeated leadership in professional groups, and specialty credentials tied to criminal law and DUI work. He currently concentrates his practice on criminal defense and DUI matters.
