About Carlos A.
Carlos A. Medina began a career that moves from public service to private practice. He served in the United States Navy in 1990 as a Data Processing Technician and Petty Officer 2nd Class. After military service he worked in family and child services, including roles as a Family Resource Specialist and as a Child and Family Therapist in a substance abuse program. Those early positions exposed him to systems that intersect with criminal justice and social services.
He earned a B.A. in sociology from the University of Arizona in 1999 and completed his legal training at the City University of New York School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 2005. While in law school he gained hands-on experience in the Criminal Defense Clinic, served as a research assistant and teaching assistant in criminal law, and completed summer work with the Pima County Public Defender’s Office.
After law school he returned to Pima County as a law clerk handling felonies at the Pima County Public Defender’s Office in 2005. That role placed him inside the courtroom and the investigative process early in his legal career. He later worked as a paralegal at Waterfall, Economidis, Caldwell, Hanshaw and Villamana, PC in 2008 before launching his own practice.
In 2009 he opened the Law Office of Carlos A. Medina, PLLC and has practiced criminal defense since then. His case work spans state and federal matters. He holds jurisdictional authorization in Arizona, in the Federal Circuit and in New York, and maintains memberships in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (since 2010), the American Bar Association (since 2002), and the Hispanic National Bar Association (since 2002).
Medina has also pursued professional research training. He completed advanced case law research and advanced statutory research certifications on Westlaw. Those credentials complement courtroom experience and case preparation. Colleagues and clients will find that his background combines courtroom work, investigative experience from public defense, and earlier work in social services.
The Law Office of Carlos A. Medina, PLLC handles criminal defense matters that touch on felony and misdemeanor charges, pretrial representation, and appellate practice when cases progress beyond trial. He currently leads that office and represents clients in criminal defense matters across Arizona, New York and before the Federal Circuit.
